


Rien n'est Eternel

by Mothercookie



Series: Good Mourning [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Pepper Potts, Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Civil War Team Iron Man, Comic Book Science, Consequences, F/F, F/M, Genius Peter Parker, Genius Shuri (Marvel), Hurt Tony, Intern Peter Parker, M/M, Not Steve Friendly, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Original Character, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pro-Sokovia Accords, Protective Pepper Potts, Repercussions, Ross gets what coming for him, Stark Industries, Tony Stark Has A Heart, morgan Stark comes later, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22137898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mothercookie/pseuds/Mothercookie
Summary: When Rogers left Tony in that bunker beaten down. hurt, broken he forgot that Tony wasn't truly alone. When Tony made it back stateside his loved ones set out to show Rogers the same treatment. To teach Rogers that laws are a thing people must abide by, that actions have consequences and that you can't use superhuman strength against baseline people and expect nothing to have happened to them.Along the way, they just so happened to give a voice to the victims, hold Ross accountable for his actions, and prepare for intergalactic war.
Relationships: Brunnhilde | Valkyrie/Carol Danvers, Gamora/Peter Quill, Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse, Luke Cage/Jessica Jones, Nakia (Black Panther)/T'Challa, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Good Mourning [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1469057
Comments: 37
Kudos: 369
Collections: Tony Stark is more than a doormat





	1. Chapter 1

Okay, so I have posted another version of this everything before but I got lost in what I wanted so I've done some serious editing, to try and make it more, reader-friendly. So I'll try and do better this time. So this chapter will be split into 3 parts, the first the style of the story, how I write, how it will flow, etc. etc. The second will be my view of the accords and how I'm going to be writing them into the story. The last section will be where I link all of the stories I have taken direct inspiration from in building this one.

To all those who came from the other one, this is going to be the before we start chapter I put into the first so you don't need to read this again. To those who are new, I'll run through everything as I did in the other one so you don't miss out.

* * *

**So Style:**

  * Anything in another language that the character who is the point of view of the time understands it is in _italics._
  * Anything they don't understand in another language will be in the language (and then have English after in parentheses)
  * I'm not great at grammar and spelling, a combination of being Australian on what seems to be a mostly American site, and the fact that I am the tiniest of tiny bits dyslexic so sometimes the word is right in my head but my hands just don't get the memo. But I'm using two editing tools (Grammarly and Hemingway) so hopefully, that will be at a minimum
  * Point of view will switch throughout the story but I'll try and keep it one or two characters per chapter, and pretty much everything will be in a first-person view.
  * Time and date will be in **Bold** at the start of the chapter, and sometimes section of the chapter if there is a time skip.



  * This Story has 3 OFC's, all three of which are Tony's daughters.



We've got [Lilith Rhodey Stark](https://www.pinterest.com.au/storytime0911/the-stark-fam/lilith-rhodey/), born 1993 making her 22 years old at the time of the Civil War. Next is [Peggy Leilani Stark](https://www.pinterest.com.au/storytime0911/the-stark-fam/peggy-lelaini/), born 1997 making her 19. And the youngest daughter [Ana-Marie Andrea](https://www.pinterest.com.au/storytime0911/the-stark-fam/ana-marie/) Stark was born in 2001 and she is 15 in Civil war, the same age as Peter. The links will take you to a Pinterest page for each of the girls so you get the face claim to picture in the story without me describing them, cause I really hate having to do that.

I promise that I haven't pulled the number of children I'm giving Tony out of my ass completely. I did the math and worked out how many kids he'd have if he had 1 sex partner every day of every year since he was 16 if his birthday was May 29th 1974. (I know that some comics and comic-based fics state that he was drinking and partying from as soon as he hit college at 14 but the idea of a 14-year-old having sex with ADULTS just grossed me out even if it was only for the vaguest of references so I went with the commonly accepted age of consent instead)

I went with this date because they said in I.M 1 that Stane had to step in for a while between the Stark's death in 1991 and Tony turning 21, but going by the movie canon date Tony would have already been 21 when his parents died. So I went with the comic book line of 'He was 17 when they died', but kept the movie date. I'm not sure if that is the actual comic book date or not but oh well...

But anyway, back to the number of babies! I figured the days he wouldn't have had sex would make up for the days he had more than one sex partner cause we know from I.M 1 when he's in the 'funvee' that he's into moresomes (The Christmas cover was twins!). And then worked out what 5% of that is considering condoms are 95% effective.

After that I did pull numbers from my ass a little by going, of the total 21, I went 4 aborted without knowing it was Tonys, 2 tried playing for money and lost, 1 didn't know it was Tony's but kept it, and 14 took the payout to abort, cause I believe that over half of them would be greedy so I made it 2/3 are and then split the last lot almost 50/50.

I then gave him all girls because this little fan's heart sees Harley, Peter, and Vision as Tony's kids too so the boy-girl ratio is even and I liked the symmetry :)

  * The timeline is a little different to Canon



I have planned that Thor and Carol need to be on earth Pre-Infinity war, so I'm moving Doctor Strange's movie happenings forward so that I can move Ragnorok forward so that I can get Thor and Danvers to earth when I want them. It's all a little roundabout but I'm hoping it makes sense when it happens still.

But I'm also moving Captain Marvel forward so it was in the early 2000s. I want Her, Maria and Rhodey to have gone through command school together because I want her to have earnt her title, google tells me it takes 4 years to get to a captain, so Rhodey graduated college in 1992 and went straight into the force. In 1995 he Danvers and Maria started their captaincy training, in 1996 they graduated as captains. In 1997 Danvers flew the plane that crashed and she was taken. Keeping it 6 years, as it is in canon, from being taken to returning, 1989 - 1995, it means she came back in 2003. Bluff a little and make it so that no one got clear photos because it all happened so fast but a fair few conspiracy theories did come out of it.

It also allows me to fill the plot hole of how Mar-Vell got the tesseract. Howard had kept it in the air force base because it was a military project, funded by taxpayer $$$ for the military and when he died SHIELD didn't have jurisdiction to pull it and so Mar-Vell, a resident alien who knew what it was and who had been one of Starks top underlings volunteered to become the head researcher. She was granted to position and bada bing bada boom she's got it.

  * The universe this takes place in is 616, because of what is said in Spiderman: far from home. I have an idea of how they are going to deal with Thanos, well truth be told I have like 8 ideas and I haven't settled on which one I'm going to go with yet so if the whole 'multiverse' thing needs to be explained I'm just going to do it either in chapter or in the chapter notes.



* * *

**The Accords:**

Right so onto the stuff that would be nice if you read so that you don't misunderstand where I'm coming from, but you don't really have to read to understand the story. So skipping or not is up to you.

This is not a pro team Steve story so if that's what you're looking for you're not going to find it here. This is about as canon based neutral, team Tony, Semi-Pro Sokovia Accords, pro **common sense** as it gets. Yes, there will be Rogers bashing, but ONLY to the point that it is in line with how he acts in Movie canon. Yes, there will be Maximoff bashing, but considering she willingly joined the MCU version of **Isis** bitch gets what she should! Yes, there will be a little bit of Lang and Barton bashing but these are two men who **walked out** on their families for something they had **no idea** about, and no actual reason for being involved with, so I see that as they deserve a bit of hate, though it won't be much and what there is will be more like dislike rather than hate. There will also be a bit of T'Challa, Barnes, Romanoff, and Wilson bashing but I've tried to keep it as close to canon as possible while not making outright excuses for their criminal actions. Romanoff and Wilson get hit with the book (of laws) harder than Barnes and T'Challa only because T'Challa is foreign royalty and thereby has diplomatic immunity and Barnes is, well, a hot mess. But all three of them have acted in roles that we would label as 'Terrorist' had it been real life and I tried to reflect that.

Having said I also kinda put a questioning slant, that's a little negative, on Vision, Stark, and Rhodes actions in the 'civil war' nonsense cause Team Tony should never have been sent in to apprehend Team Steve, that was just asking for trouble. (So fuck you Ross) There's also a reflective negative slant on some earlier in canon actions when they reflect and basically go "WTF was I thinking".

Also, the MCU really **fucked up** on what international politics is like cause well, the USA secretary of state **DOES NOT** actually have a position in the UN nor can they order a **MILITARY STRIKE** on foreign borders without starting a war (and with treaties the way they are today that would become a world war) so....... just no! 

\- Read that as if I was yelling because that honestly gets me SOOOOOOO mad! - 

There will be straight up bashing the ever-loving shit out of Thaddeus Ross cause that bitch can go die.

Banner and Thor get a bit of hate for actions before the Civil War, but it's not much and I feel like they redeem themselves in the storyline that I have planned. Or at least I hope to make you sympathetic as to their reasons why.

Pepper is, amazing. And I tried to show that in a way that allows for humans having flawed interactions while also not making her either a ball buster or a doormat. All the while staying true to the strong independent woman who doesn't need a man but would like to be apart of the family that I feel she gets too little of in canon.

Peter my preciousness has nothing but kind words, and Carol Danvers is a literal goddess sent to soothe my soul after the MCU fucked up on the avengers. So I think that makes it clear where I stand on them... 

Having said all of that, I'm going to explain my view of the accords now. So we don't actually get much in the way of canon backed sources for the accords, but what we do get is the scene where Ross brings the accords to the avengers. Which don't even get me started on all the problems there! BUT what he says is:

" _What would you call a group of US-based enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who frankly seem unconcerned about what they leave behind" blah blah blah emotion-provoking footage of many many deaths and way more destruction "For the past four years you have operated with unlimited power and no supervision that's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution. The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries . . . it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary_."

The only other canon source I could find was from the Agents of SHIELD show between Lincoln Campbell and Glenn Talbot which was

" _How does this registration thing work? You put us on a list then what?"  
"Well, we collect fingerprints, DNA samples. We run a power analysis to categorize your threat level which is also used to determine health risks."  
"Fine, I'll register, sign me up._"

So most of my knowledge on the accords comes from the MCU Wikia website page on them, but there are not really many sources to check out on that. But it is what I'm basing my analysis off so... tough.

" _Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples._ " - First 'who agree to sign' as in not all super-powered people just those wishing to participate in superhero activities. And next the united nations bit, as in an intergovernmental organization tasked with "maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international co-operation, and being a center for harmonizing the actions of nations", so yeah obviously these are going to be the people wanting to ensure the cooperation between supers and nations when said supers are working on a global scale. Also on this, as an Australian I know for a fact that applicants to our armed forces also have to have security data taken, data like a full extensive background check, like medical exams, like blood tests, like physiological profiles, like so many other things. Now I know fingerprints and DNA seem extreme but when considered in the context of superpowers and multinational teams I don't think its as extreme as it would be for Joe blow down the road wanting to volunteer on the firefighters' raffle.

" _Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations._ " - Okay, makes sense, I don't know of a single armed force that allows masked individuals to operate under their orders when they have no idea who they really are. It would be like using an Alias to get into the police force, something you have to disclose at the sign-up level.

" _Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks._ " - Now, with the way it's written it's still under the 'individuals who agree to sign' only banner. So again this makes sense when talking about superpowered people I see a power analysis being like a physical fitness test. Sure 'threat level' is not inspiring words and kind of insinuates that all powered people are automatically threats, but we're talking people like Rogers who can punch through walls, people like Maximoff who can MANIPULATE PEOPLES MINDS AT WILL and has shown a willingness to do so, people like Stark who wears a LITERAL tank suit with actual literal **bombs** in the shoulders let alone the rest of the weapons so yeah if any of them ever get tired of following the rules they will be a threat.

" _Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times_." I won't lie this bothers me, a lot. But we are still under that 'those who sign only' section so everyone with a tracking bracelet has consented to it. And while I find this kinda horrifying in a violation of human rights way, I can also see where they're coming from, for instance, Vision is an android, made from the strongest substance on earth, with an alien stone in his head, the Maximoff twins got their powers when they WILLINGLY signed up to a **terrorist** organization upon reaching **adulthood** , the HULK need I say more on the possibly destructive abilities there? Peter Parker who can canonically catch a 3,000 pound (1360Kg) car traveling at 40 miles an hour (65Km/H) with ease, at 16 a time where if he follows human development he's only like halfway through growing. These people, if real, would be really scary, we're talking someone so fast you couldn't see them coming if they decided to attack, someone who could literally make you do the worst things imaginable, a giant stronger than tanks and fighter jets, someone that if they even accidentally used a little to much force could kill you in an instant. So even though I don't like this I can see how these governments would have put this in out of fear

" _Any enhanced individuals who sign are prohibited from taking action in any country other than their own unless they are first given clearance by either that country's government or by a United Nations subcommittee._ " Yeap, like how an Australia couldn't just go to the USA and kill a citizen for a perceived slight. Like how a citizen of Russia can't just be like 'Hmmm I don't like the queen, gonna kill her'. There's nothing there I wouldn't agree with

" _Governments are forbidden from deploying enhanced individuals outside of their own national borders unless those individuals are given clearance as described above. The same rule also applies to non-government organizations that operate on a global scale (including S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers)._ " Again, not different from current international regulations in real life 

" _Any enhanced individuals who do not sign will not be allowed to take part in any police, military, or espionage activities, or to otherwise participate in any national or international conflict, even in their own country._ " I'm sorry but if you have an issue with this point I think you may need to go back to school and take a class on how to be an acceptable member of society because **obviously** they don't want **CIVILIANS** going into active **WAR ZONES** or **CRIME SCENES** and interfering.

" _As a corollary, they will not be allowed to participate in any active missions undertaken by private or governmental law enforcement/military/intelligence organizations (such as S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers)._ " So this is a side note to the one before, 'As a corollary' basically means (In this instance) because of what was said before they will not be allowed too blah blah blah. Which again makes sense, if you don't want to abide by rules and regulations then you can't participate.

" _Any enhanced individuals who use their powers to break the law (including those who take part in extralegal vigilante activities), or are otherwise deemed to be a threat to the safety of the general public, may be detained indefinitely without trial._ " I don't like the 'without a trial' part, that's a direct violation of human rights as enacted by the UN all those years ago. But at the same time, until the 'without trial' parts there wasn't anything out of the ordinary like you break the law you go to jail, but yes I do see how worded the way it leaves gaping loopholes allowing the detainment of anyone at any time should the person in change wish it so. 

" _If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial._ " again with the 'without trial' point from above, the only difference is that it refers to obstruction of justice.

" _The use of technology to bestow individuals with innate superhuman capabilities is strictly regulated, as is the use and distribution of highly advanced technology (such as[Asgardian](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Asgardians) and [Chitauri](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Chitauri) weaponry)._" no human experimentation to give superpowers and don't give out super-powered weapons. Yeah I'm gonna go with an OBVI on this

" _The creation of self-aware artificial intelligence is completely prohibited_." So yes and no here, no being that one out of how many DOZEN we know about being made went murderous? but yes this is a good point because well ULTRON was a thing (granted Stark and Banner hadn't reached the stage where he should have come online so was he really and AI or was he an Alien imprint come alive? Cause I'm going to go with Alien)

" _The[Avengers](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Avengers) will no longer be a private organization and will operate under the supervision of the [United Nations](https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/United_Nations)_." So they don't want super-powered people running around doing their own thing with no consideration to the places they go and people's lives they end, wow I never would have seen that coming...

So that's what's in the accords that we know about, now onto applying knowledge to them. The accords are not a law, they are, by definition an agreement ( **accord** ) between two contracting parties (In this case nations and supers) to accept alternate performance to discharge a preexisting duty between them (The illegal entering) and the subsequent performance satisfaction of that agreement (How they can not fuck shit up). As in asking supers to stop interfering one way and instead do it in a different way that both sides agree to in terms of achieved outcomes. Meaning BY DEFINITION they fall under contract law meaning **only** those who have signed the contract can be held to its standards. This means in the avengers those who can be held to it are:

  * Tony
  * Rhodey
  * Vision
  * Natasha



Now the option was given 'sign or retire', which makes sense when you consider that without the backing of the nations they are entering, those who do enter are technically invading with end goal being the pushing of a political standpoint (Their idea of what's being fought for), which makes them a terrorist, by definition it literally makes them terrorists. Basically what the accords are saying is "We like that you're trying to help us, but you're also breaking A LOT of our laws and costing us trillions of dollars in damage and millions of people are getting hurt or ending up dead so instead can we get some cooperation and do it in a way that will benefit us all and if you don't you will be held accountable for your actions".

Also, I have seen a lot of team Cap people, particularly Americans, arguing that the accords are unconstitutional and honestly, cool but your constitution doesn't mean shit outside your country. Yes, it affects the laws put in place on a national situation, but as I said before, it's an accord, not a law, and the UN doesn't answer to your laws, they have their own. And on this, the USA was one of the signing countries, meaning that the accords where uphold-able in the USA because the government agreed to abide by it. A government the people CHOSE to give the power to which generally indicates what they want at the time so while not outright stated to confirm it in cannon we can use world knowledge to **KNOW** that the average everyday people **WANTED** the supers to be held to these standards, and if your only problem is the constitution well don't worry cause y'all break it all the time anyway.

As known in other (real-life) UN passed laws a countries government has the option of saying 'we can't follow this section because it violates this right in our country' and so while being accountable to the other sections they get a pass on that one. However, we can't pass judgment on whether this applies to the accords in canon, given that they are not laws and we don't have **ALL** the details like we would if it where real life, which means we don't know if the USA (Because that's where the heroes of our story are based) has rejected the following of unconstitutional parts which would then affect the way in which the accords apply to the hero's.

Like maybe the USA did say "Hey we can't follow the tracking bracelet part or the without trial parts because that's against our constitution, we agree that supers who break the law should go to jail but only with a conclusive trial". And that's why none of the characters we see have tracking bracelets on, and Ross just broke the law with how he detained them.

What I'm getting at in all of this, is the accords aren't bad. They are not good either though. But they are legally able to be upheld. Just not to everyone we have seen prosecuted because of them, as in Hope and Hank Pym I HONESTLY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE FUCK Marvel was going on about there because there is no comprehensible way for those two to have been implicated in anything to do with the accords, not unless they both already signed, and if not than not in any way that is legal in real life, so unless the MCU has some other laws, that we don't, which allows for them to be prosecuted because of something that happened BEFORE the accords where signed (Which is actually **illegal** in real life), then that doesn't make any sense AT ALL. I would like to have words to Marvel about because **THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE LEGAL SYSTEM WORKS YOU BABOONS!** Honestly, that part makes me so mad that I can't watch ant-man and the wasp because of it. I was literally pulling my hair out in the cinemas and ended up having to walk out for a bit. I can not deal with that it is the most ridiculous piece of shit I have ever heard come from a movie, and I've watched all of the Twilight movies.

But that's not to say all those who are being punished under the accords are unjust. Lang not only broke parole, but entered a country illegally, aided and abetted criminals, had a hand in the destruction of public and private property which would have had an attached dollar figure in numbers that your average everyday person wouldn't even be able to comprehend and fled from prison. Barton much the same but with a possible side serving of assault, and his cooperation with Maximoff add accessory to assault with a deadly weapon (Her powers) then there's breaking and entering and all the destruction of properties as Lang and illegal entry, and then there's Maximoff herself which is just a shit show mess of who even knows how many national laws and international laws and crimes against humanity, Wilson too with like all of that and god knows what else the US would try and smack him with given that he was apart of a treason plot. Then you've got Barnes and Rogers who have all of that and more. These are actual people (Minus Lang and Barnes which is a whole other issue I have rn) who had the accords put to them meaning that their decisions to break laws, and work in a way the accords had forbidden, that they did was done knowingly and willingly. 

Also, the accords book was _**THICC**_ , like it had to be easy high hundreds maybe into the thousands of pages long, we've gotten a canon backed excerpt of like one and a half salt grains worth. There is no possible way for ANY of us to make an actual fully informed judgment of the accords because it would be like 'oh yeah I read one page of the entire hunger games series. I know everything about it', so really what we're (myself included) doing is seeing a TINY section, making an irrational judgment and placing the rest of the deciding factors on which character we like best.

And yeah I picked Team Stark, mostly because I know for a fact that if these people were real, if the accords where real, I would be one of the people (maybe not notably but at least attempting) to fight in making these accords fair, just, and uphold-able. Because I would want my voice heard in saying that superpowered people should not be allowed to run around the globe, fight whoever they want, and then fuck off to where they came from leaving behind the innocent victims of their attacks to try and piece together whatever is left of their lives. Because I would like my voice to be heard if I said 'please stop you're scaring me' the way the accords seem to want to do but fall short of in canon. I would also be fighting to say that superpowered people should be allowed to fight for us, to fight the battles we never could, and should not be forced into it just because they have powers.

* * *

**The reference Part:**

So I'm not going to go for anything massively in-depth here like the last two sections where I'm basically just putting links up.

Now some of these I read, took like 1 line out of it and even though I changed it I still wanted to be like 'it is theirs'. Others I was just like "Ha! Yes!" and the semi influenced but not outright influenced anything to the point that it would be noticeable just in reading it, there are also a couple of dozen text posts that came up on my Pinterest and I'm just going to tag the whole saves board for you because I don't even know what I'm going to use or if I'm going to save others to it but I also want to credit those people

(Also special mention of "Tony Stark is more than a doormat" tag on Archive Of Our Own because I have read like EVERY single one of those)

  * pinterest.com.au/storytime0911/text-post/
  * Miscommunication Somewhere - archiveofourown.org/works/13381080

  * Patterns on the Wall, Chapter 1 "Wanda's Ideals" - [archiveofourown.org/works/15599343/chapters/36217539](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15599343/chapters/36217539)

  * Patterns on the Wall, Chapter 2 "Wanda's Intentions" - archiveofourown.org/works/15599343/chapters/39705270#workskin

  * There's Always A Cost - archiveofourown.org/works/12946365

  * Review and Parameters - archiveofourown.org/works/13448442

  * Justice, past due - archiveofourown.org/works/11783385

  * Closing The Door - archiveofourown.org/works/17787596

  * The Value of Victory - archiveofourown.org/works/11958087

  * Patterns on the Wall, Chapter 3 "Trials" - archiveofourown.org/works/15599343/chapters/39817116#workskin





	2. Chapter 2

Lilith took a breath. Counting in for four, hold for four, out for four. Trying to calm her nerves while she stood backstage waiting for her cue to go on. Her makeup and hair team were checking her over one last time doing quick last-minute touches. Trying to make her look like she didn't start her day at 3 am to board a plane from Lagos to Vienna. Have a short nap, be up again at 6 am when the flight crew let her know they were starting to get close on the landing. So she would have time to wake up and shower. Not that anything happened until 9 am anyway. When the hair and makeup team hand started doing their thing. Other than Lilith using the time between 6 and 9 to catch up on her paperwork.

" _As the signing of the accords is set to happen in the next few hours we have a special guest with us today to talk about them. Please welcome Doctor Lilith Stark!_ " Through the speaker came the host's voice, in that usual happy go lucky way that talk shows do. Breaking Lilith out of her thoughts, and calming breath patterns.

" _Go, go, go_ " the stagehand starts gesturing her out. Lilith plasters her largest media smile on as she walks out waving, giving the host, Julia, a hug as she reached her. Out of all the talk shows, Julia is one of the better ones

" _Hey Julia, thanks so much for having me today_ " Lilith is still smiling that media as she sits in the chair provided

" _Lilith it is our pleasure! Now before we get into the accords I wanted to have a quick chat about what you've been up to lately. As I'm sure everyone knows we're not long out from the 4-year celebration for your doctorates. But it seems as though your year anniversary of practicing medicine,_ _was spent_ _in this part of the world."_

_"Yes, my anniversary date with practicing was, a little two-fold on emotions. See I love being able to research and develop new medical aids. But I love practicing medicine more._ _So the anniversary of the World Health Organisations 'age limit' being over was going to be a big celebration in my family_ _. It so happened to coincide with the Germany tower going self-sustainable._ _So we had planned to celebrate together in Germany for both,"_ Lilith explained, waiting to continue speaking until the cheers ended

" _Yeah, definitely cheer for that! It was amazing! And a large part of the credit is due to all those in Ana's project group at midtown high. With their recyclable biodegradable plastic replacement. We rank in the top three hospitals around the globe for environmental sustainability,_ "

" _Wow! Congratulations! That is incredible! Tell me a little more about this project_ " Julia spoke as the cheers picked up again

_"I know right! I am so thankful to everyone who has helped out. Not only with this one here in Germany but our other 9 around the world as well._ " Lilith laughed as she spoke, still riding the high of pride.

" _So this project was a school thing at first. Ana goes to a science tech school back in New York so all the kids there are crazy smart._ _In her environmental science class, they had to develop a way to replace an everyday item with something sustainable_ _. Ana and her group came up with a way to turn the pits and seeds from fruit and veg into biodegradable utensils. To replace the plastic ones currently used. These four kids and Ana figured out how to make plates and bowls and cutlery and cups."_ Lilith enthused, excited for how well her towers where doing

_"So after her group did their presentation at school, I got them to do it to the SIM board of directors. I had told them to come up with a way to make it a large scale production, something we could use in SI and they managed it. The board agreed that this was an amazing idea and gave me the go-ahead to send it through trials in one hospital. That was six months ago, we trialed it in the Australian branch and it worked. Measured waste was down by 50%! To see if production could handle more than one facility, I then put it into Germany's tower four months ago._ _Which along with our Arc power, tower gardens, and a few other projects I'm sure you've all heard of made us self sustained_ _._ _The best part is, we don't charge our patients and we have only what the government gives in donations so we are also self-funded_ _. And now we have every other S.I facility ready to roll out these degradable plastics at the end of this month._ " Lilith had a megawatt smile on her face as she talked happily, so proud of what these five 15-year-olds had achieved

" _Wow, That's amazing!_ " Julia spoke, leaning forward intrigued

" _Isn't it! And the best part is it, even with all cost going into making it, it still cost the same as single-use plastics!_ "

" _Incredible! Now I know that the carbon emissions generated through health facilities tend to be high. How do you combat that?"_ Julia probed,

" _We have gardens in every SIM facility._ _That grows the food we feed our patients, any excess goes to the Maria foundations homeless shelters_ _. But all emissions from the facility go through these gardens first._ _Each time a facility goes up I consult our scientists to make sure the garden will counteract the carbon"_ Lilith reveals. She has spoken about it before, but only in science articles and the SIM websites, so while being public knowledge it's not common knowledge.

_"But those mixed feelings you spoke about at the start of our interview. No doubt they come from why we've seen you in Lagos recently. As eyes on the ground, how is it going over there?_ " Julia leaned on the arm of her couch, moving so her chin rested in her hand

Liliths good mood sobered. Letting out a sigh, she leaned back into her chair before speaking.

" _Yeah, Lagos is the other half of what I was referring too. We at SIM were ready to party and celebrate when then the Lagos disaster happened. But my people, oh they're amazing Julia! They all kind of stopped saw it, and then all at once started planning how we would help. I've seen a fair share of these sorts of situations after this many years in the business of helping people. The aftermath of not only superheros but military too. I have to say it never gets any easier,_ " She paused to breathe, trying to calm herself, before speaking again.

" _As expected at the moment the people of Nigeria are in a lot of pain. Wakanda too from their losses, and it is heartbreaking to see. To see all those mourning. But in Nigeria at the moment it is also very heartwarming. A lot of images in the media are people in SIM vests, so they look like they're all my people. but truth_ _be told_ _, half of those numbers are Nigerians. Not a country SIM usually works in for anything more than outreach missions here and there. And not long after my team and I got there did a Wakandan party of aid givers show up as well, and they are in SIM vests too. Oh Julia, I_ _nearly_ _cried when I saw it. It was such a pure moment. These people in pain and mourning still were willing and ready to help any way they could_ "

" _I see how you would have been in tears, hearing about it warms my heart._ " Julia reached forward and laid a hand over Lilith's, a small smile on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, Lilith could make out those in the front row nodding and smiling along to her words.

" _Now, knowing it was the avengers who caused this, have you gotten any inside looks into what went wrong?_ " As she spoke Julia pulled her hand back, so she was resting it on the arm of her chair again, her chin on her closed fist

" _Julia, to be honest, no. And a lot of that is to do with the fact that I am so busy at the moment. So I haven't actually been there to see anything._ _But, I also haven't gotten any talk because Dad isn't actually an avenger,_ " Lilith was walking the fine line of being truthful but also being political in her answer, schooling her face into a calm mask as she spoke.

" _Not an Avenger?_ " Julia latched on, causing Lilith to suppress an eye roll, and keep the calm mask up as she answered. Lilith had only been over this in almost every interview she had done since the fall of SHIELD but it was still entertaining gossip, apparently.

" _Well, after the Ultron situation not only was there inquiry into how Ultron came to be. The outcome is available on the UN page along with all the evidence given in the case. But dad also took a step back, said he'd be around for world-ending stuff but retired from that life. And, it's no secret he wasn't ever an avenger. Back when they were still SHIELD dad still was only a consultant_ "

" _Right, I had forgotten that came out in the info dump,_ " Julia remarked before straightening up and moving onto her next question

" _Now Lilith, you are on the United Nations panel for the accords correct?_ "

" _Yes, sort of. I'm not apart of all the going on's of the UN. But I_ _was voted_ _onto the accords specific panel by the people of America about two years ago_ "

" _So give us a run down, what are they about? What do they do?_ "

" _Well, Julia the first thing you've got to understand is an accord isn't a law. I've heard a lot of people in the media addressing them as law._ _It makes me want to pull my hair sometimes,_ " Lilith finished the last bit with a fake giggle as she mimed the action, sticking to the truth in a way that came across as kind. With a small frown on her face, Julia asked

" _Not a law? Then what are they?_ "

" _Well, they're a fancy contract"_

" _What?_ " Julia asked laughing a little

_"I know, it sounds silly but that's the best way to describe them. In technical terms._ _They're an agreement between two parties to accept alternate performance to discharge a preexisting duty between them and the_ _subsequent_ _performance satisfaction of that agreement_ _. So, all the Sakovian accords are doing is saying to super-powered people. 'Hey, we know you've got these fancy powers. Know that you can protect us with those powers. And may even want to protect us. That's great, we appreciate it. But can you do that in a way we agree with? And that's this way.',_ " Lilith went to keep talking when Julia started shaking her hands and speaking

" _Wait, Wait, Wait. Are you saying that the accords are a job contract for super hero-ing?_ " Julia hesitated over the correct way to phrase super heroing

" _That's exactly what they are!_ " Lilith let out a little laugh as the audience did the same. This is why she liked coming to Julia's show. Even though it was a normal talk show setting, even though she still had some of the standard questions. Julia was quick on the uptake meaning insightful relevant questions

" _It's three hundred pages of 'Here's a job you're already doing and want to keep doing. But can you pay attention to these laws? And respect our cultures while you do it? And can you not do these things anymore because it makes us uncomfortable. Thanks.' The only reason why the accords are so long is there are bits about punishments for actions. As in if these super hero's are saving the world and a civilian dies when and how is that considered murder? And who is to do anything afterward? And then there are parts about if its an emergency global catastrophe. What if they don't have time to go through customs? There are clauses in there about 'hey you have super strength and could pop our bodies like a pimple so if you break the law we are going to detain you this way to keep everyone safe.'. And then there's sort of uniform parts_ "

" _Uniforms? Why would what a super wears into the battle matter?_ " Julia frowned looking confused

" _Well, it's not so much what they wear into battle but for what they wear around the battle. Say they're in a country where the culture finds it disrespectful for women to show hair. While the female super may not have to wear a scarf in battle. If she where to go and talk to the media after without one on that would be disrespectful. It's also a little about what they wear into battle as in a 'please wear protective clothing',_ "

" _Oh that makes so much more sense now_ " Julia looked relieved

" _Right! Which is why My family and I are backing these all the way._ " Lilith spoke. Julia, nodding along

" _Now I know we've got to love you and leave you soon so you can get to the signing, but one last question Lilith. Can you understand how some would not want to sign the accords?_ "

" _Oh sure, I can understand how they could not if they don't want to be a superhero anymore. Take Bruce Banner, for example. He's never wanted to be a superhero so when he gets back from wherever he went I can understand if he doesn't sign. And I know there are parts in there that are abrupt and abrasive and can put people off. But that is why a stipulation is that after signing the prelims. Which is what this signing actually is. There will be a period of negotiations. Why it's done this way is, you wouldn't want anyone not_ _being held_ _to the contract to ask for things you don't want. But, otherwise, no._ _I don't understand how some are saying 'I don't want to sign the accords so I am going to go on breaking so many international laws and being a superhero.',_ "

" _And on that enlightening note, that concludes our segment today. Thank you for your visit today Dr. Stark and the talk_ "

" _No problem Julia, you know I love getting to catch up with you!_ "

Lilith walked off stage waving and smiling. The moment she was out of the cameras and audience view she had her hair and makeup teams around her. Fussing and undoing everything as they walked out of the studio and into the car park.

As soon as they got to the van everyone got in. Lilith was sat in the middle seat as her hair and makeup teams set about doing the whole new style for the [signing](https://www.pinterest.com.au/storytime0911/wardrobe/signing-of-the-accords/). Her makeup was completely wiped off and redone, in a natural rather than bold style. Her hair going from a fancy ponytail to a fancy messy bun.

When they reached the parking garage her teams all climbed out of the car and started changing over her handbags. All the while Lilith changed from the dress into the three-piece business skirt suit. Reaching over to knock on the door as she started putting the matching heals on, her team opening the door and helping with the other one.

Once she was ready two of her team held out their hands to help her from the van. They all walked inside, her team fussing over her to make sure everything is perfect. Being not only the face of SIM after they had been in Lagos, but also on the council for the accords would mean she would be on camera quite a lot today. Everything needed to be perfect. Once they reach the security checkpoint for the building her team splits off

"Okay, so you guys are taking the van back to SI and then going home, right?" Lilith asked knowing that she had heard the team would be returning stateside later in the day but also not sure

"Yeah Lily, Like yay Law stuff and all but waiting is boring and we can't go up. Sebby will be bringing your car around lunchtime. So you can take keys then" Cecilia the head makeup lady told her. Cecilia is one of those people everyone loves to talk too. So she could always be trusted to know exactly what everyone's plans are at any given time

"All good, have fun drive safe" Lilith smiles back blessing Cecilia as she goes. The whole team calls back 'you too' as they head back to the parking garage. Lilith pulls out her ID tag to get passed security

"Your assistant's Dr. Stark?" comes a very thick African accent from beside her as she's going through security. Lilith looks over to see it is the King of Wakanda, the prince standing beside him

"No your highness, my hair and makeup team. They're a blessing" She says with her polite media smile in place. Even, as she speaks Lilith, knows they are likely to judge her. Being from an isolated country does not mean they haven't heard the worst of her family like so many before them

"You do not do your own?" The prince pipes up from the other side of the king, looking almost put out. Lilith knew his judgment would come, though that did not mean she had to listen to it. Years of practice allow Lilith to keep a polite tone as she snaps back at him.

"Sometimes I do. But days like today where I flew in from Lagos before Sunrise, had a TV interview and then came straight here. Having a few extra hands helps,"

Lilith moves through security with a soft thank you to the guard. The group of three starts towards the room that the signing will be held in. The king turns and frowns at the prince. It is a similar silent reprimand to the one her father directed at her when she was younger and misbehaving in front of outsiders.

"Ah yes, I have heard about you being in Lagos to give aid. An honorable cause to respond to" the king directs at her in the same politely inquisitive tone as before. As though the prince had said nothing.

"Thank you, your highness. Though it is not only me responding to their need for aid. I have wonderful staff that all do their best work every day. As I have seen Wakandan's there helping as well. That is brave of your people," Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the prince shift and frowns a little. It takes all her will to not roll her eyes at him. He is showing himself to be another man who believes that he has seen her in the media so he knows everything about her. Lilith see's the king frown a little too but his more thoughtful than put off like the Princes. But King T'Chaka moves the conversation along with such ease that most would not notice it. Lilith noticed though, she had lived in this world her entire life, after all. Had been taught to read to world of politics. Been taught to recognize the tiniest of actions and interpret what they could mean. All without locking herself into a single belief.

"I am glad to see you here today Dr. Stark. But I must confess. You were not the Stark I had hoped to see," T'Chaka probes. Trying to find why she was the only Stark here when her father, uncle, and sort of brother would be held to these documents.

"My father has already signed. As has my uncle. Dad, my sisters and uncles will not be joining us today as there is an aunts funeral in London." Lilith regulates her voice so that it is soft in the right spots. Still being a true reflection of her emotions, without actually showing any weakness.

"I apologize for your family's loss Dr. Stark, please extend my respects to your family in this time." The Prince speaks up. Lilith glances at him again to see he holds himself like a man who is questioning himself.

"Thank you, I will pass on your care. But she was very sick for a long time. So for her to be at rest now is a blessing, even when it hurts" Lilith nods back, a gentle smile on her face as she looks at him

"Then we will celebrate her life" The king speaks again right as they reach the doors of the room

"Thank you. You and your countrymen and women have our care and, should you need it, support in these hard times as well. Excuse me." Lilith refers to the Lagos topic of before. Bowing her head in a half nod to excuse herself she leaves their side to mingle with the other people.

Close on half an hour later, a voice comes over the speakers asking for everyone to take their seats. Lilith had spoken to everyone in at least a greeting by the time she takes her seat in the front row, off to the left of the room. First up was the signatures. Most already having signed and sent in there were only five from around the globe who still had to sign. Romanoff was one of those.

Lilith thought it a bit rich, this posturing. Either you were happy to sign as you wanted to do the right thing and were willing to listen to the countries wishes. Or you didn't want to sign. Dragging the signatures out like this to draw attention to how 'good' you are is quite boring. And a very obvious manipulation technique that no one would actually fall for.

After the signing King T'Chaka got up to speak

"When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join. I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative." Lilith's attention was drawn to Prince T'Challa as he turned to look out the window. She watched the concern flicker across his face

"Everybody get down!"

Lilith dived for the ground under her table. She had not quite made it when she felt the explosion that hit the other side of the building. It felt as though it shook her bone-deep, the force of it pushing her backward. When her vision cleared Lilith looked around the destruction. She made the motion to turn her earnings into earpieces to connect to Apollo

"Apollo, Triage protocol active. Blastwave first. Quaternary second. Work inwards!" Lilith spoke as she moved, bag in hand being pulled over her shoulder, towards the King and Prince who were closest to the explosion. Tiny flying circular bots lift from Lilith's bag spreading out and scanning everyone. Starting with those closest to the explosion aside from the king and prince. Hovering above the injured each turning a different color. Green can walk out and wait. Yellow are not life-threatening. Red needs attention now. Black can not be helped.

Lilith dropped to her knees in a skid as she reached the pair,

"Doctor I have access to rescue personnel communications" Apollos' Greek accent spoke in her ear

Lilith knew the king was dead almost immediately but checked for a pulse anyway as she spoke to Apollo

"Alert ground personnel of all evac ready persons. Fill them in on the order of triage. Get me the SI team in here now!" She turned to the Prince, cataloging minor injuries she got up and moved on. Relieved to see only two black bots as she moved. Trying to take as many steps away as possible to not hurt the prince further with her words, but not having the time to be gentle with it.

"Prince, green and go. King T'Chaka time of death 12.48 pm." as she reached the next person, a red, noting it was a woman she started treating what she could

"Head contusions wound clean, bandaged... Abdominal wound, shrapnel extruding, braced, bandaged... The broken thigh bone, braced, bandaged. Evac ready. Don't move, keep your hands here, someone will get you on a stretcher" Standing she moved onto the next person,

"Not breathing, Apollo time" "4 minutes 56 seconds" "Starting compression's..." "5 minutes 30 seconds" "6 minutes" "Breathing on own. Likely lasting respiratory failure. Ear rupture, Globe rupture both bandaged. Non-responsive. Constant watch. Evac Priority. Apollo they may need to bag her." Noting the blood around her jacket sleeve cuffs she stripped that with the gloves. Balling it up and putting it under the woman's head before moving on. Next red.

"Bleeding from head, bandaged. Hold pressure to your head here" She said lifting the man's hands to the bandage on his head "Single globe rupture, bandaged. not tracking, concussion possible. Evac ready"

"Lower left extremity missing," She pulled the mans belt off, and wrapped it around his leg "circulation stopped. Abrasions face and throat, no visible airway damage. Evac ready, priority"

"Doctor Lilith, You have an incoming call from your father" Apollo's voice came over her earpiece as she was standing

"Answer. Dad, I'm here but I'm busy. The med team still hasn't breached the room and there's so many hurt" Lilith didn't pause in moving to the next red.

"Lilith oh thank god. I was so worried. We all are"

"I'm okay dad. Apollo, glass protrusion in throat bleeding stemmed. Miss, try and wiggle your toes for me, don't talk" Lilith was looking between the woman's toes and her face

"Lilith baby, stay safe" Pepper spoke, her voice catching as she did

"Yeah Pep, I will. But I gotta go. I love you all" As she finished a look of sheer panic overcame the lady, tears building up in her eyes

"Your okay, we're gonna get you out someone will be here soon. Loss of lower limb control. Evac Blast priority" she couldn't stay, getting up and moving on again. She walked to the next one, black light. Lilith knew there was nothing she could do. Knew if she stopped all the resources would go into this one, that no one else would be helped. Swallowing back the bile that built in her throat every time she had to black tag same she spoke

"Apollo. Watch for the time of death and I'll come back to declare." Lilith kept moving, noting when people started streaming into the room in SIM Emergency response vests. They moved the priorities and those who could walk out, covering the dead with sheets.

assess, treat, evacuation call, repeat. Lilith kept going. The faces turning from 8 to 20 in the first half an hour. Growing to 45 in the hour after that, and 67 at the two hour mark of the explosion having gone off.

Looking up from her last person she noticed the only ones left were those covered by black body sheets. The floor around them pooling red, even though their hearts long stopped. Her brain not having quite caught up, shock starting to settle in now that she had a moment to breathe. Lilith got up and walked over to where her jacket was laying half in a pool of blood, picking it up.

"Dr. Lilith?" She turned around to see one of the SIM team she recognized. A new hire to SIM emergency response, having come from Doctors without borders. Standing there, arm outstretched to her

"You're the last one to go, they want to come in for the bodies soon, okay?" The worker said, his voice soothing in a way Lilith knows they get taught upon starting their job

"Um, yeah, right. Of course," Lilith shook her head. Trying to clear the cloudy feeling that shock brings on

"Lets put your jacket in a Bio baggy okay?" The worker said pulling one of the biohazard bags out of his medkit as they headed for the door

"Yeah okay, um. Have you got a wet wipe left?" Lilith asked as she took the bio bag putting her ruined jacket still dripping blood in it. She knew he would have wet wipes, all their kits are stocked with more than they could ever need. But talking helped keep the shock from being able to creep up again

"Yeah of course" The man said, pulling a packet out for her, she pulled a few and started wiping the blood of her arms

"Did you want me to get the blood off your face?" He asked as they headed into the stairwell

"Yeah, that'd be great. Dad will freak if the press got photos of me with blood on my face before I get home where he knows I'm safe" Lilith moved into the corner of the stairwell. Propping herself up onto the handrail and lifting her head with a sigh

"Yeah, that would be bad," the guy said as he stepped forward and started rubbing the blood off her face

"Did you get hurt anywhere else?" He asked as he did

"No. I always keep a box of gloves in my bag. So my hands were fine. And my stockings are thick enough to stop any skid marks on my knees" Lilith over-explained. Knowing that was what she was suppose to do, what the emergency worker wanted from her

"That's good, okay. So all done here. Did you need any more?" He said as he stepped back and they started walking again

"No, I got it all. Thanks though,"

As they make it out of the stairs, into the main lobby where the response teams had been set up Liliths senses other than sight stop.

The first thing that makes it into her brain is the flashes from the reporter's cameras. Reporters out on the street. Reporters who can see in through the missing glass doors and windows. Reporters who are losing their minds at the sight of her, once white outfit stained red from the blood.

She turns away, her eyes next stopping on the near 100 body bags that line the other side of the lobby. Sees police loading them into the back of ambulance and emergency cars. See's the ambulance flowing in and out of the path barricaded off.

As sound returns, her ears filled with the wailing of the sirens. The shouting of the reporters. The people screaming while trapped under rubble out on the street. Emergency workers trying to help the trapped but not sure what they can move so it won't bring down more rubble.

Lilith doesn't move, can't move. She spins. Taking in the damage. The ruins. Tears she doesn't even notice the tears filling her eyes. Her knees going weak, the SIM worker next to her reaching out to steady her

"Come on Doctor Stark, the EMT's want to check you over before you go" he gently pulls Lilith towards the EMT station

" _Miss, can you tell me your name?_ " She's asked as soon as they reach the tent

" _Doctor Lilith Stark. I'm fine, a little in shock but all I need is a nap and a shower, none of the blood is mine._ " Lilith waves the EMT off. The EMT looks like she wants to argue but isn't sure how to go against someone with Lilith's medical reputation. Typically Lilith would push further until they give her what she wants, but today she was just too tired

" _Look how about I sit here and you can check me over to see I'm not lying but then I can go?_ " Lilith bargains, not in the mood to argue

After a quick scan they agree that she's fine, but in need of a shower and nap so they let her go. Lilith stands up and grabs her two bags. Turning around she notices Sebby standing off in an unoccupied corner and heads over to him

"Come on Lilith. Let's get you to the car and home," Sebby says. As Lilith reaches him, he puts an arm around her shoulder and leads her into the parking garage. To where the police had let him park the car.

"I've put an old blanket on your seat so it wouldn't stain your car," Sebby said opening the passenger door for Lilith

"Thanks, Sebby," She says sliding in. Resting her head against the window Lilith is asleep before they are even out of the garage

Two hours later she is back in her room of the tower. Stripping her clothes off to throw out, there's no way all that blood is coming out of the white fabric.

Her shower lasts a good hour and 30 minutes. She tries to scrub the blood out of everything but it seems to keep running red. After climbing out she dresses into leggings and an oversized hoodie. lets her hair stay in the towel hat. And moves to her bed calling out for Apollo to call everyone

"Okay Doctor. Calling Tony, Peggy, Ana, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy and Harley"

"Lilith!" Rhodey was the first to pick up, right as Lilith made herself into a blanket burrito on her bed

"Heya Uncle Rhodey"

"Oh my god Lilith! Are you okay?" Pepper picks up yelling

"Whoa Pep. Give the girl a chance to answer," Happy spoke up. Even though she could hear the worry in his voice it still made Lilith smile

"Yeah, guys. I wanted to let you know I'm okay. There'll probably be a tonne of photos of me coming out of the building covered in blood. But none of it's mine, Promise"

"It's okay, we'll handle it" Pepper soothed

"Where you hurt sissy?" Ana whispered

"No not really, I have a few scrapes on my knees but that's more from when I was trying to help. I'm going to need to run all the infectious disease tests again though. Just to be sure that no one else had something that I may have landed in"

"Baby girl, I'll send a memo through to the German tower and have someone up there within the hour okay?" Tony was soft, soothing but also firm in a way that she knew it was a request but one he didn't want her saying no to.

"Thanks, dad"

"Lil, you didn't just help. They're saying on the news that you're the reason why so many people were able to come out of that building. Injured but alive" Harley spoke up quietly

"I did what any Doctor would do." A little choked up as she says it. Tears starting to roll down her face she wipes them off with the back of her hand. The TOO MUCH feeling in her brain starting to become overwhelming.

"Baby girl, its okay" Rhodey speaks in his soft uncle voice,

"I know, I know. I know it's a lot and how I'm feeling right now is normal. Considering everything I've seen." She rushes out tripping over her words, the tears getting worse as she goes

"I also know my reaction isn't as bad as it could be considering my medical training. It's, So many people where dead. I couldn't help them" a sob forces it's way out of her throat. Choking her on the word so, she takes a shaky breath before continuing

"So many people are dead, and they all had families that will miss them and, it's a lot"

"Oh baby girl, you're okay. I know, we know, that would be hard on anyone. But we've got you. You can cry and we'll be here to hug you," Tony speaks, his own voice shaking from the pain he can hear in his eldest daughters voice

"Protective dad mode activate!" Harley teases down the line causing everyone but Tony to snicker

"Yeah, yeah brat," Tony taunts back fondly, there's a pause in the conversation. Not awkward, comfortable

"The Wakandan king is dead. I pronounced him," Lilith lets out tiredly. Not sure where she's going with that, just feeling the need to say it

"Yeah, little one. They said on the news he'd passed" Happy was gentle as he spoke, there was a sigh and a pause before she spoke again

"I'm currently at the German Stark Med Tower." Lilith paused. Knowing she didn't need to explain why but wanting to anyway.

"After this last month. With Lagos. Now this, I. I need a breather, space to. Space to be nothing but a blanket burrito and reset before I come home"

Ana snickers on the other end. They both have that in common when they're stressed or feeling like everything is too much. Harley lets out a breathless chuckle having seen Lilith's blanket burrito before and know she will be covered in a blankie the entire time. It's Peggy that speaks though

"It's okay sis, no one expects you to be okay after all that you saw. Take all the time you need"

it's obvious Peggy doesn't truly understand why Lilith would want to be alone right now. But that she's also willing to do it if that's what Lilith needs. Peggy is like Pepper in the way she copes with things. Surrounded by those she trusts to take on the load. With the added side of stress baking that Pepper doesn't have. Unlike Ana and Lilith's isolation technique. Unlike Tony who will lock himself away and build his was out of the problem

"Yeah, I bet it was all pretty scary." Ana piped up,

"Don't worry, you're still the best big sister a dude could want!" Harley teased down the phone. Lilith laughs

"Hey!"

"Bitch"

Lilith could hear Pepper, Happy, Rhodey and Tony laughing as well. A moment passed after the laughter died down before Tony spoke

"Lily, take all the time you need to get yourself settled again before coming home to us okay? and if you need us, any of us just call. Even if its to sit on the phone and not talk"


	3. Chapter 3

**11.30 am Romania time zone, 23rd June 2016**

Lilith had not long been up. Barely having time to shower. Heading back to bed when Apollo's voice broke her out of her thoughts

"Doctor Lilith. There seems to have been a situation in Romania that may be requiring assistance."

"What's up?" Lilith murmurs tiredly. Towel drying her hair, changing direction from her bed to heading to the wardrobe to get dressed.

"Romanian police and counter-terrorism units were attempting to apprehend Barnes. When Rogers, Wilson and an unknown turned up and the situation dissolved. There was a chase and a bomb was thrown. It is unclear if it was Barnes or the unknown who threw the bomb. But it affected the structural integrity of a major underground bypass. a truck passing overhead brought it down. There are countless civilians trapped, and many suspected dead already."

"What," Lilith's head snaps up as Apollo speaks. Looking at where a projection of live news coverage is on her wall. She shoves all previous traces of exhaustion deep down with this new disaster.

"Apollo, alert the Romanians we are coming to help, and ready the jet!" Lilith yells. She gathers her bag, essentials thrown in the bag. She throws her towel in the direction of the hamper and races out, shoes in hand. Not bothering with the elevator she takes the stairs two at a time, leaping the last four, on her way down to the flight deck.

"Flight time will take 30 minutes, Doctor," Apollo tells her, the jet starting take off before she is even in her seat. Dumping her arm full in the seat haphazardly next to her as she straps in. As soon as take-off is over she unbuckles again, continuing to dress as she gets the rundown of events.

"Arrival in Romania is approved. You are clear to land at the bridge" Apollo speaks

"I suggest eating while we approach"

Lilith moves to where the snack compartment is and pulls out a few muesli bars. Unwrapping them she gets to work

"Tell me everything!"

"At 9 am Romanian time a police station security camera picked up Barnes's face. They put a request into the JCTC for back up. By 10.30 a team comprised of individuals from Albania's RENEA unit, Australia's TAG and ASIO units, Belgium's DSU, France's RAID, and Germany's GSG 9 and SEK, arrived to assist."

"Okay, so they had help, from a lot of people. What went wrong?" Lilith was confused, these guys were all trained to run these operations. To take the worst kinds of terrorists. How did they go so wrong?

"At 11 am the foreign assistance members and members from the Romanian police and Brigada Antiterorista breached Barnes apartment building. It had been cleared before they entered except his apartment. Intel was that Barnes was alone. No one outside the agencies had been notified of the mission. Rogers was inside. It is believed that Rogers blocked the stun grenade. The initial breach on the door failed to open. The ones who got in were shooting rubber bullets. On orders to subdue but not kill. Radio transmissions sent back indicates they were taken out forcefully. It is uncertain at present if it was Rogers or Barnes who started the more violent response. Or a combination of both. There was a radio call put out for an emergency response. But it was cut out before finishing what type of assistance they needed."

"Okay so the likelihood it was a request for medial is high then?" Lilith twisted her hands as she spoke, a nervous habit.

"It is certain. While the information comes back stating an unknown number of dead, many where left alive but hurt. They have been calling for medical assistance since. It is unclear if those in the initial breach are still alive. However, personnel have not reached the scene yet due to the downed bypass and resulting traffic"

"Okay, and next?"

"Barnes went out the window of an apartment, he was attacked by the unknown. Air support reported the unknown seemed to be aiming to kill. That the unknown was on the offensive and close on overpowered Barnes. Air support got the go-ahead to engage so the started shooting, they had sedative darts. Wilson kicked it while it was mid-flight, sending it spinning out of control. They managed to avoid hitting public buildings but went down on a rooftop. Barnes took off, the unknown and Rogers following, Wilson after them. That is when they dove into the underpass. The chase at this point took 7 and a half minutes until the bomb went off but there is no visual feed. The police vehicles chasing them made it through the rubble. 12 minutes later a truck passed over the top of the bomb site and the bridge collapsed."

"Jesus Christ, and no one's gotten to the building yet?"

"Radio transmissions coming out says local police are responding. But no medical personnel yet, they are unable to get around the bridge and traffic"

"Okay, tell the Romanian tower to be ready, send a jet to the apartment block now and get those guys out of there. All of them. Alert the JCTC that we're sending them to SIM so their people can meet them. Get every doctor and nurse we can in and on standby, even if that means we bring some from other countries. Set emergency up for trauma response. Get every ambulance and med jet even slightly in the vicinity ready to go and going." Lilith rattles off the top of her head. All the while working on the projection table to get the German, Bulgaria, Greece, France, and Serbia teaching facilities in a position to send what emergency staff, and resources they can spare

"They are in the process" Apollo speaks up a few moments later

  
  


* * *

"We'll have two jets coming in from Greece filled with equipment and what supplies they can spare. Notify Romania of their ETA." Lilith spoke around her last mouthful of food while still working, knowing Apollo could pick up what she was saying

"On it Doctor" for an AI who was supposed to be unable to feel emotions, Apollo was sounding very stressed. 'Me too buddy' Lilith thought, not having time to stop and asses that development.

"France is sending all the supplies they can too but no Doctors as they went to Vienna. Austria has nurses and paramedics they are sending. But they sent supplies to Vienna so nothing there. Tell Romanian air control what to expect and coordinate with S.I.M.T"

* * *

Lilith was tying her shoes up when the next notification came in. "There's a jet coming in from Serbia with 10 nurses and three doctors. Ask the Romania officials where they're needed and get them there."

There was a pause before Apollo spoke again

"Splitting them between three churches who have set up for patient overflow. To try and relieve hospitals"

"Good, okay" Lilith paused for a moment, "send me the names of those churches?" she spoke again, the names immediately popping up on her phone screen

"In this crisis, hospitals are handling the sever cases. For those of you who need only a little help, the following churches are set up to help with medical persons. Please visit one of these instead of the hospitals. So we can assist you best now - LS." Lilith muttered as she tweeted out on the Romanian SI health twitter. Before going to the phone app and calling the Romanian PR department

"Andrea?" Lilith asked as soon as it connected

" _Yes_?"

_"It's Lilith, can you get the PR department on organizing a list of hurt victims and where they are._ _Lets free police and firefighters up from dealing with panicked families so they can help too_ _. I'll send you through everywhere I know that those hurt are going_ "

" _Of course Doctor Lilith, First initial, last name, and which facility they are at. We'll send teams of two out to each_ "

* * *

A few moments later another notification went off. Lilith having moved to put her hair up spoke

"Bulgaria is sending a jet to the bridge site with supplies. Notify officials on the ground what it is so they're ready"

"On it"

"Serbia is sending two jets filled with minor treatment stuff. Direct them to the churches. And let said churches know what they are. And who to expect," Lilith muttered.

Seeing the next notification comes up while she was getting in contact with the last of the Romanian med schools she had to contact.

"Done," Apollo said back "ETA 13 minutes"

"Doctor Stark, how can we help you"

"Do your students want hands-on learning experience?" Lilith cut to the chase. Not even bothering with pleasantries. Knowing it was not her usual calm and collected polite but not having time to play pretty little thing for anyone right now.

"What are we talking about?" The head professor seemed to get it at least. Using a cut the crap tone but with the outright concern for his students in his voice to

"The SI tower there is setting up for the influx. That is where student nurses are to go. They'll be in groups of two of your more experienced students and one first-year student to each of my nurses. They'll work as a team to assist my nurses with the patients, first years taking notes for the charts. The later year ones working in an enrolled nurse capacity. Any doctors in training you send will get split across the city into teams. Some going to the churches that are doing minor injuries where my guys already are. Some will come with me to the bypass sight. We'll be running triage and whatever doesn't need a full doctor to do." Lilith was already working on sending this professor the waiver she hasn't yet brought up

"Yes, of course, I'll contact my students and see who will respond"

"Thank you. Each of your students will have to sign a waiver. Saying they are students and as such are only working as volunteers in this instance. That they will follow the directions they are given to the best of their abilities. And they will speak up if anything is out of their skill range. That I, nor SIM will be held accountable if they do not speak up and something goes wrong. It also has a part in there stating that we will be walking into a danger zone. That they are aware of the risks, mental, physical and emotional that comes with that."

"Yes, of course, that all sounds fair."

"The waivers will be at each site, and only once they have signed will the students be handed a vest so they can interact. I've sent you a copy of the waiver. So when you tell your students they can read it to know what they're signing before they come down." Lilith finishes explaining, not harsh but quite abrupt

"of course, I will be sure to tell them"

"Good. Thank you" Lilith hangs up. Right as the jet starts approaching the downed tunnel. She moves into the cockpit and straps in for the decent, looking out the front window.

As the landing sequence does its' thing she sees a security mobile cell start being loaded onto a prison transport plane. She can make out three figures being flanked by Uncle Rhodey. One Rogers in the full red white and blue stripes, with the shield not far from him. Another Wilson in the Falcon outfit wings off to the side. At the distance, she is unable to make out who the third person is with them but can tell it's not Barnes. Lilith rolls her eyes. Not comprehending how these two don't see a problem with putting the American flag on their ass to run into a nation they have no right being in and kill people. Let alone the damage to the city itself.

Right as she finishes that thought she feels the wheels touch down and gets up. She takes her bag with her knowing the jet will likely be used to evacuate victims and walks down the door. As her eyes adjust to the sun she looks over to where the idiots and Uncle Rhodes are. Noting that the third is Prince T'Challa, King T'Challa? As they walk up the back of the prison plane. She shakes her head as she approaches her uncle. The thought 'killing countless citizens of a foreign nation is not a good first act as king.' running through her head.

"Hey Lil" he speaks when she's in range

"Heya, Uncle Rhodey," She says giving him a hug

"Be safe," He says as he starts to move to the plane

"You too, tell dad as well when you see him," She says. Turning to head to the tent being set up for the evacuation team right as the plane takes off

" _Dr. Stark, I'm glad you could make it,_ " The head of the emergency response team says as she reaches them

" _I'm sorry it had to be under such circumstances. What are we looking at?_ "

" _It's one of three main drive routes through the city. Lunchtime traffic, so bad but it could have been worse. They're stabilizing it at the moment, so we haven't gotten in there yet. We've got people on top clearing those civilians out and setting up perimeters. No one can tell us how far the domino effect will spread along the tunnel if we don't stabilize it. So that has been the first point of call down here. But the extra precaution is cutting off three major detour routes. Making traffic too bad to get any extra ground crew in or out. What can you do for us?_ "

" _Okay. I've got nurses and doctors coming in and spreading out throughout the city. I'll get you a list so anyone up top who needs only minor treatment can go to them rather than the hospitals. That way we'll be able to help_ _efficiently_ _. The 18 hospitals in the city are ready for what we get and I made sure they were all on standby. S.I.M.T has made 90 more beds available and has staff waiting for what we can get to them. Four jets and fifteen helicopters ready for take-off to where they're needed. 50 student doctors are coming here. We can do triage, breaks, bruises, and minor bleeds, that way your guys can handle the big stuff. I sent drones into the tunnel as soon as I arrived. They'll tell us as much as possible about the state of people, that way we're not going in blind. This thumb drive will give you access to their feeds and information uploads_ "

" _Okay, we can work with that. Karen will take you to the medical tent. Your students have already started arriving,_ " Lilith looked to where he was pointing. Karen was standing on the other side of the tent to which she entered. An older lady, greying around the roots, face set heavy in a frown. Lilith nodded to the team leader before heading over to Karen.

" _Hi, I'm Karen, assistant medical director for the IGSU and running the med show today. Thank's for coming to assist, you said you have 50 students coming in?_ " She seemed nice enough, already stressed, as she spoke

" _Yeah, roughly. Whatever you need help with we got. The jet with the treatment stuff arrive okay?_ " Lilith asked as they walked into the tent

" _Okay. We've had about 40 already arrive. On the jet was waivers, and vests. Those that are here have already signed and then the waivers placed back into the jet. We took the stuff out and then the jet left but a couple have arrived ready for patient transport_ "

" _Great, There are Paramedics with each jet so we get three patients on and they will take off. What system do you use to determine severity_ "

" _We use traffic light cards_ "

" _Great, I'm familiar with that so I get the students on the green and yellows and I'll explain the blacks_ "

" _Let us pray we have no blacks_ "

Lilith knew it was not a realistic hope, could hear that as Karen said it Karen knew it was a futile hope as well. That a disaster as bad as this there was bound to be more than one person they could not help. More than one person who would die today. More than one who would be black carded today. But Lilith did not begrudge her that hope. Knowing that sometimes hoping for the best was the only way to get through these sorts of situations. Lilith nodded at Karen before she turned to face the medical tent to address the student

" _Okay students, listen up cause I'm only saying this once. Today is going to be unlike anything you have ever seen. And for many of you, it will be the_ _only_ _time you will see something like this. Your first job today will be to keep your head-on. In an emergency, the first pulse you check is always your own! There is nothing in your training that has prepared you for something like this. But do it right and we'll save more lives than we lose. Split down the middle here"_ Lilith held her arm up so it cut the group in half

 _"This side,"_ She said pointing to the group on her left,

 _"you are 1. That makes you two"_ She finished pointing to the group on her right.

 _"Get a tag with the number on it"_ Waiting until they had to continue

_"Group one will start with moving, group two with treating. Don't worry I will explain. On every patient there will be a tag, today you will be working on those with green and yellow tags. Green is for minor injuries. Yellow for more serious injuries that aren't immediately life-threatening. There will also_ _be red_ _and black tags but you are not treating those people today. Once people are out of the tunnel they'll_ _be tagged_ _and we'll be in charge of moving them. Red will come back into the tent at the back, closest to the jets. There will be doctors from the IGSU there waiting to take over. Black tags will get moved to the tent on the far left-hand side, It will have black curtains around it so you'll know. Yellow and green will be sat in the front tent where you will work to treat them, they'll_ _be evacuated_ _last. Groups will switch every 3 hours, there will be a bell. You'll finish with the person you're on and then go to the switch. You'll be working in pairs today, There are more than enough beds so find someone who hasn't_ _been treated_ _. Treat them. Write down what you did on one of these sheets and then tell them to hold it. These sheets are important, they make sure every doctor knows what's going on at all times. In my hand are extra velcro strips. They say, student, it is for your safety that you wear these at all times that you are here. Any questions are to_ _be directed_ _at me before you bother someone else. If you have not signed the waiver you do not practice today, there are extras to the side. Let's do this_ "

* * *

**1 am Romania time zone, 24th June 2016**

With the clock rolling over to one am it marked the 13th hour in which the bridge team had been pulling people from the rubble. Across the med tent, they were set up in Lilith catches the eye of Karen and nods at her towards the back of the red tag tent.

" _What is wrong Doctor Stark?_ " She asks as they stand with their back to the rest of the team

" _There isn't anybody else coming out of the tunnel alive, or at very least not a black tag,_ " She says it softly, not looking Karen in the eye as she does. Karen drops her head and lowers her hands from their crossed position, taking a deep breath before she lets out a soft

" _I know_ "

" _Trained Doctors may still be able to help the black tags we get now but the volunteers, they can't. I'm going to send them home. They've done great._ _But no one should have their first official outing as medical personnel defined by how many bodies they pull from their home town_ " it's soft, but firm. Lilith leaves no room for argument as she says it

" _Okay, yeah, okay_ " Karen nods, wiping her eyes as she speaks, Lilith reaches out and puts a hand on her arm

" _Hey, take a break._ _We've got this here, you need to drink some water_ " Lilith says before turning to the rest of the tent and speaking loudly

" _SI med volunteers. Please meet at the water station._ " she waits for a moment. Until the last of the volunteers had come out of the tent. Lilith looked around to make sure they were all focused on her the way they should be

" _You guys have done great here today, but from here we're not looking,_ "

She pauses unable to finish that sentence with the way her throat clogs, swallowing around the lump she tries again

" _We're not likely to be getting, anyone else out of that tunnel, alive, from here on in. So as great as you have done today. This, the rest of this, It's going to be hard, this is the toughest time, and you guys don't need to see this yet. Thank you so much for all your help. Go home. Sleep. Kiss your family. I have your contact details from your waivers and I'll write you all a letter of recommendation and send it to you_ "

As the tent starts to clear, Lilith looks around. She takes in the young faces clearing out. Most of them with black marks across them marks she knows is the rubble dust coming from the tunnel with every shift. Most of those faces with tear tracks on them. None of them looking at each other in the eye as they peel off gloves and vests and face masks.

She takes in the wounded lying on the makeshift bed that are just pads on the ground. All their faces twisted in pain. Many clutching hands or hugging loved ones to them, several crying but looking at the ground.

With a breath she gets back to work, treating those she can, comforting who she can, and doing all she can.

* * *

The last four and a half hours drag by. Seeming to take longer to pass than the thirteen before them. With each new stretcher wheeled out of the tunnel, a sheet is thrown over them before they make the public eyesight. They are then wheeled as far away from public vision as they can be where two Doctors go and confirm the death. While a third clean them up as much as possible so a photo can be taken of their face. Then they are checked for any identification by the police who arrived shortly into hour five.

It's 5.30 am when the tunnel is finally cleared. For all the chaos that was the tunnel while being cleared, it is marked as done with the usual level of quite nothing that seems to follow at a disaster site. No sound comes from the tunnel anymore. All the sounds of grief and pain are spread across the street now. Spread into the medical tents where the yellow and green tagged people are being loaded to evacuate. Comes from a few loved ones that could get through. That could be found, brought in by police to confirm the dead's identity.

Lilith, despite not being religious in any way, does say a little prayer to any god or goddess who would listen for the people affected by this. That may they all have someone to turn to in their grief. That may those red-tagged and moved earlier keep fighting for their loved ones. She walks towards the jets that would take her back to the Romanian tower. Where for the second night she would wash the blood off her body. Thankfully this time with no injuries to herself and no need to do another infectious disease test. Where he would call her family to assure them she is safe, and then fall into an exhausted sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**23rd June 2016.**

**Waverly Iowa, 9 am**

Laura stands on the porch of the farmhouse. Staring down the dirt driveway where her husband had taken off like a bat out of hell. One arm crossed across her chest, the other holding her phone to her ear

"This is Potts" Peppers frazzled voice comes through. Well, Peppers equivalent of frazzled. Which sounds like anybody else's normal with a slight tilt of stress only audible to those who know her.

"Hey Pep," Laura croaks out, she knows what she wants to say but not how do to say it.

"Laura, what's wrong? is everyone okay?" Pepper's voice goes from frazzled to concerned.

Laura closes her eyes and bows her head, trying not to cry. She is not one of those women who let their husbands walk all over them, she is strong. Clint made his choice, now its time to make her choice. But logic doesn't make the tight feeling in her chest hurt any less. It doesn't make it any easier to breathe while she feels like there's not enough oxygen in the world. It doesn't make it easier to shoulder the crushing notion that their life, the one she had carved out and built was not enough for Clint.

"Clint left," Laura manages to force out. Saying it feels too much like defeat, like weakness, for her to be comfortable with her babies' hearing. She takes a few extra steps away from the door

"He got a call from Rogers and started packing. We had," Laura breaths in hard. Swallowing the taste of betrayal in her throat, she finally admits what she had worried about since she first saw Clint's restlessness. Since she first noticed Clint's eagerness to rejoin the field missions after New York

"We fought, he was supposed to be taking the kids to an amusement park tomorrow. I said that if he walked out he would be choosing them over us. He left anyway," By the end of it, Laura has lost her fight with her tears. She doesn't bother to wipe the tears away. This feeling of 'he chose them' betrayal had long since worn down the level of care she had to give over Clint. Even as she thinks it, she knows that it is a lie. Even still Laura does not move to wipe her tears.

"What?" It's harsh, the way Pepper spits it out. Laura knows Pepper is getting mad on her behalf

"He said he had to go. That Tony had imprisoned Wanda. That she needed rescuing. And I said if she was imprisoned it would be for killing those people in Nigeria. But he wouldn't hear it. Kept saying that he had to rescue Wanda from Tony. As if Tony would hurt her. But Pep, that doesn't sound like Tony at all!" It was a rushed and garbled mess. Laura's anxious energy coming out in her words. While she forbid herself from pacing, not wanting to draw the kid's attention by flailing.

"It's not! Wanda only had to stay home for a while with Vision. And only because her visa is in questioning. Even a slight glint of red going near a civilian! Even if it's not her powers but she's there, and the government will give Nigeria the deportation they want!" the iciness of Peppers's tone made it clear exactly how little she thought of Tony going to bat for the little witch.

A wave of rage engulfed Laura. Her face turning into a snarl, her hand balling into a fist and coming to rest on the railing in front of her as she spits out

"Are you kidding me? My husband left me and our three kids because that witch was asked to stay inside so she wouldn't get deported!?" trailing off into a string of 'fuck that little witch and her stupid husband stealing temper tantrums' in Spanish

"Yeah." Pepper had long since learned Spanish after Ana tried getting away with swearing in it at 10 years old. She supported Laura's rage towards both her husband and the little witch

"Ugh, it's not even her fault he left us though is it. Clint made that choice all by himself. Even if it was for her" Laura rubbed at her eyes, her fight turning back to hurt after her brief lash out of anger

"Laura, what are you going to do?" Pepper asked softly after a moment of listening to Laura's heavy breaths. Pepper was concerned for her friend. Afraid that when the rage went away her friend would shatter due to grief. Pepper knew Laura well enough by now to know that poking any sign of weakness would be cause for Laura to withdraw. Laura's ingrained training leftover from Laura's days as a SHIELD agent. But that to ask for her thoughts as a way of assessing a plan. That would be enough for both ladies to know that Pepper was asking if Laura is okay.

"I don't know Pep," Laura answered both Peppers asked and unvoiced but implied questions with one simple sentence. She paused before continuing

"I can't, I can't have him around the kids. He left us to play white night and home with another woman. It was different when running S.H.I.E.L.D missions because that was his job, but Clint, Clint retired. Are we so bad that he would choose a 26-year-old pretty thing to screw, over us his wife and three children?"

"No, Laura no. There is nothing wrong with you guys! Clint didn't leave because of you and the kids he left despite you. You and those kids would have been the only doubt in his mind. But he's too much of an idiot to see what he's missing!" Pepper was equal amounts soothing and angry as she spoke, she paused and Pepper spoke again

"Can you get to New York?"

"No, oh, yeah I could call the farmhand that works summers and see if he can watch the animals for us. So yeah, but Pep I don't wanna be a burden on you and Tony" Laura closed her eye's rubbing at them with the palm of her hand

"No, it's fine. I've texted Tony already and he agrees. Also says to bring the animals if you have too because there's, in his words. There is more land than he cares to explore at the old Stark family New York vacation house. Tony got it partially redone only a few years ago. When the tower was going up so everything works. Come stay up here until you figure it out. You're our friend Laura, a roof over your kids head while you sort yourselves out is the least we can do!" Pepper implored, only wanting the best for her friend. There was a pause for a few moments as Laura considered her options. Not wanting to bum off her friends but not knowing what else she could do right now. Staying at the farm was NOT an option. And she had cut contact with her family years ago.

"Pep ... Fine, but no stocking pantries or sending cleaning crews before we get there. If we're going to be mooching the least we can do is clean and cook for ourselves!" Laura gave in, as much as she disliked the thought of mooching she knew it was the best option right now

"Yeah sure, that sounds like a good compromise". Pepper gave in to her requests. After having known Pepper so long Laura knew she'd have that smug smile on her face. That one she gets when she knows she's done something right. They exchange good buys and hang up. Laura taking a steeling breath before going back into the house to face her kids.

It takes more time than Laura cares to admit to get the farm ready to leave. The elder two kids sent to pack their rooms up and get their bags in the back of the truck. The farmhand they usually hire as extra help for the summers was able to come down early. But wouldn't be there until late tomorrow. Which meant setting the animals up with enough food to last until tomorrow. So Laura let the cattle, keeping the diary and few meat cows they had separate, and sheep and goats together out into their paddocks. Leaving their shelters open, and ensuring the feeders used in droughts had food in them.

The birdhouse was easier. Making sure food and water systems were good to go meant the chickens, ducks, geese would be fine until the farmhand arrived.

She was halfway through the birdhouse when she finally decided to take the more pet than stock animals. The stable hand usually brought his horse anyway. Plus keeping a part of the routine would be good for the kids.

While the kids finished packing their things Laura brought the pickup truck around. Hooked up the horse float, and started on loading the three horses, the pony, and Coopers Alpaca in, she had not let them out of their stables for this reason.

The next in was all the tack, the rugs, saddles, bridles, halters, spare lead ropes, grooming kits. Followed by the feed. Enough to get her through two weeks. So she could find someplace else to buy it in New York, while still leaving enough behind.

Laura threw in the rabbit food as well. They couldn't take coopers Alpaca and not take Lila's rabbit.

By the time she had all that ready the kids were bringing down their rooms packed into a few bags. Laura choked back a sob at seeing her babies carrying their whole lives like that. Getting ready to leave the only place they have known as home the way they are.

"Into the bed of the truck with your bags, Lila where is Fluffy Butt?" Laura swallowed her tears, trying to keep a level voice as to not alarm the kids further

"All packed up and ready to go, mum"

"Good, Coop, make sure you take Meatloaf's stuff"

"Already got it, mum"

"Okay, then Lila you will get all the photos from the whole house. Cooper, you'll pack car snacks and drinks while I get my stuff and Nate's stuff okay?" Laura used her "mum" voice to get the kids into gear. Walking back inside the house she saw 1-year-old Nate still playing with his toys. She made a mental note to not forget them. A bored 1-year-old is not a fun 1-year-old.

Once Laura had all of her stuff. Stuff like their valuables, like emergency cash. Like the passports and documents, and the most precious jewelry she packed up Nates' room. Putting all his clothes into one bag. Then all the toiletry stuff into his nappy bag. She checked the bathroom for the other two kids toiletry stuff she packed what they had missed up as well.

She writes a note for the farmhand she pins on the door with a thumbtack and puts the spare key in its place. Making those the last thing she needs to do in the house.

"Okay, Coop. Help me close the truck up while Lila goes toilet and then you'll switch okay. We've got a long drive ahead of us" Laura says once they are ready to move out. She and the kids take turns going to the toilet one more time. Laura straps Nate into his car seat and does a final walk of the house making sure they didn't miss anything.

Hours after her phone call to Pepper they get on the road headed for Ardsley New York. Watching the farmhouse grow smaller out the back of the car.

  
  


* * *

**25th June 2016.**

"Lilith, when you get this I need you to come to the German Stark Tower. Uncle Rhodey's been hurt pretty bad, he's alive so don't panic. But I'll tell you more when you get here okay? See you soon, Love Dad"

It had been on her phone when she woke up from her 6 hours of sleep. Those six hours hadn't been enough to chase away the bone-deep feeling of exhaustion and _too much._ Not after the 18 hours, she spent at the bridge earlier that day and the night before. Not after the 3 hours in the bombed UN room the day before that. But those six had to be enough. She once more rushed through getting dressed and got on the plane. This time without showering or eating.

That had been 12 hours ago. Making it 10 and a half hours since she rushed into this waiting room. Only to see four solemn faces and have a short

"He's in surgery"

From Uncle Happy, while her dad got up and hugged her.

The German S.I.M.T needed better waiting room chairs. It was a random thought, not one that had a place in her brain right at this moment, but, well, it was there anyway.

Lilith hadn't realized how bad the chairs were until she had been sitting in one for hours. But even though her butt, and thighs, and feet were painfully numb. Even though she could feel the tingling of pins and needles that had set in hours ago, in her toes. Even though she knew it was not healthy, she couldn't move. That's uncle Rhodey in there! One of the people that raised her. Laying in that operating theatre, back cut open, unlikely to ever walk again.

Lilith looked down into her now cold tea. Happy having gone and gotten it 3 hours ago, at midnight when it was clear the Stark family wasn't moving.

Lilith desperately wanted to scrub in. To be in that operating room. To make sure the very best, the very most was being done for her uncle. But she also couldn't move. Feeling too heavy in her limbs to even raise her cup to drink. Let alone get up and actually be able to operate. There was also her logical brain debating her emotive reaction of 'go' with a calm 'not what's best for him'. Every time she started to muster the ability to get up again.

She could feel Peggy beside her just as still. Peggy's only movement being to raise a hand to her face every now and then to brush the tears off her face. Her other hand holding her own cup of cold coffee. Lilith knew it was worse for Peggy. Lilith at least knew what every alarm, what every code over those speakers meant. Knew that they hadn't heard the flat line call so Uncle Rhodey was still alive. Knew Peggy's biggest fear was losing her family. Knew this came to close to when they almost lost there dad. Came too close to when Peggy did lose her mum. But still, Lilith couldn't bring herself to be any more comforting than she already was. Simply sitting close. Simply clutching each other's hand.

Ana was pacing. Quite literally almost wearing a mark into the carpet. Walking that single line back and forwards. Back and forwards. Back and forward. Since getting here only moments after Rhodey and her dad did. Ana had drunk her soda, and then dads, and then Uncle Happy's, all within a few minutes. And not long later had drunk her own, Peggy and Lilith's soda's that Peter brought down from the dinner order. The food Peter ordered the Stark's sitting untouched long after Peter left to go back up to the residence. Ana's nerves and anger coming out in agitated movements. Every sound from the theatre hall causing her to turn sharply and look at the doors.

Lilith looks up as the doors that separate the waiting room to the theatre hall opens. A Doctor Lilith knows, Fischer their top spinal surgeon, steps in with Nurse Elias behind him

"Please, let us sit," Doctor Fischer says. He takes a seat facing where Peggy and Lilith sat waiting for Ana and dad to do the same before he continues

"So the good news is, he's going to live and it will be mostly pain-free"

He pauses and looks down, sighing before saying

"It was not good though, Vertebra T 8 through to T 12 where shattered beyond repair. We had to remove them completely. We replaced them with the synthetic bones that were recently WHO-approved."

Looking to Lilith to see if she remembers the testing for them.

Lilith who just nods back that she understands. Not actually speaking yet. Having started to cry again when the doctor started speaking. Complete removal of vertebrae means Uncle Rhodey will never walk again. Her proud military uncle will never be able to walk. Never be able to stand. To move fully. Will never be able to look after himself completely.

"We also had to close the nerves at T 5 level to stop the pain of the severed nerves. It means his spine will hold and he will be able to sit. But there are no nerves to control it, no nerves to ease movement bellow the shoulders. Vertebra L 1 through L 5 were damaged but we have put support in for those as we were able to piece them back together. those 5 should heal, slowly but it will get there. The speed of healing will need to be watched, as he will have no feeling to know if they are healing wrong as a normal patient would."

"Thank you Doctor" Tony spoke up his voice rough from the several hours of disuse as he worried. Doctor Fischer nodded at them as he stood

"Nurse Elias here will take you to his room," he said before walking back out the doors to the operating hall.

Elias stood and headed to the patient hall, as the Stark family followed, Happy closing up the rear.

"Doctor Lilith. It was our understanding you wanted him to be moved back to the New York branch after surgery. So we had him placed straight into a stabilizing pod. I believe you are all better off to sleep first and go in the morning. But the Doctors assure me that all is ready for transport immediately if you so desire." Elias spoke as the reached Uncle Rhodes's room, pausing to the side of the doorway to let the others in while they spoke

"Thanks, Elias, We won't go until morning but I'll tell the others" Lilith patted his shoulder before walking into the rooms. She briefly scans the chart before she sat. Standard sedatives. Running pain killers. Vitals in the control range. Blood pressure stable. All good things, especially given the state of him.

  
  


* * *

At 7 am, after only 2 hours of sleep Lilith's Body clock woke her up. After getting changed into lounge pants and a hoodie she headed into the kitchen. Peter was the first one she saw, sitting on the couch and twisting his fingers while on his phone. Lilith tried making him relax a little by ruffling his hair as she passed on her way to the kitchen bench. Tony and Happy were already awake crowding the coffee machine for the first cup of the day. Lilith got started on making breakfast. She was about halfway through when Peggy appeared beside her. Taking over the bacon and sausages so Lilith could do the toast. The smell of food louring Ana out of her room right as Lilith and Peggy put the plates on the table

"So what's the plan?" Ana asked after having inhaled several pieces of bacon

"Uncle Rhodes is good to go when we are," Lilith put in, in between a mouthful of toast and a mouthful of Coffee

"The council want's me to see if I can get where Rogers and Barnes were headed out of the others," Dad started,

When he looked up to see five confused faces looking back at him he swallowed his mouthful of food and explained

"Intel came in last night that the man we thought was the psychologist at the JCTC was an impostor. The real one is dead in his hotel room, so they're thinking it was all a setup and want to know why"

"I can be your back up!" Peter insisted,

"Or not" he adds under his voice when he has all four Stark's and Happy look at him

"Peter, You did brilliantly but you're done," Tony said, before shaking his head

"I shouldn't have brought you without your Aunt's permission as it is. I'm not going to drag you to an underwater enhanced criminals prison. To talk to people who proved they were more dangerous than I wanted to believe"

There was a distinctive guilty note in his tone as he spoke. But dad hid that vulnerability behind a mouthful of coffee

"So Dad, you take the jet Peter Ana, Happy and I came here in. And we'll take the one Lilith came in back to the states." Peggy reasoned, nodding along as she spoke. A fork full of an egg going into her mouth right after she finished her sentence.

"Yeah, if I get where they're headed though I'm likely to be sent after them," Tony cautioned. Already knowing what the council hadn't said

"Vis can't go with you?" Ana asked after a moment's pause. Tony looked up at her and shook his head no, swallowing another mouthful of food before saying

"Nah. After friendly fire brought down Rhodes, they're reviewing with him today. So he's benched until an outcome is reached"

"Natasha is as likely to turn on you as she is to help you but wouldn't she have some sort of idea?" Ana continued

"No one knows where she went. After T'Challa got up and told us what she did she scattered. There was a partial facial match landing in a US airport this morning. But out of Natasha and Rogers, Rogers is the bigger target." Tony reasoned

"A tail on her could lead to the rest of them too" Peggy put in thoughtfully

"and the council doesn't want to call an international team in yet. If Rogers can do this to his actual team he won't hold back on strangers. So sending an unknown, to Rogers, face at him will only escalate beyond what they're willing to risk..." Lilith realized, voicing it as she went

"Yeah" Tony agreed

''So what are you going to do?" Peter asked, his voice small, head facing down

"I'm going to go, and try and protect people," Tony spoke looking at him

"Thank you for helping me at the airport Pete"

Tony ducked his head trying to make eye contact with Peter, who turned bright red from the praise, as he spoke

  
  


* * *

**25th June 2016,**

**12 pm San Francisco time**

"Thank you all for coming today" Hope Van Dyne spoke as she stood behind the podium. The podium had been set up on the front steps of the Pym Technologies headquarters in San Francisco. The entrances to the door behind her, to make the Pym Tech logo line up _just_ _so_ behind her head. On the TV the flashes from the cameras in the wings of the conference started going off as she started to speak

"Unfortunately, what I have called this press conference about is not a nice topic. Nor will it be easy to say or hear so I request that all questions are held until the end. I say this on behalf of ALL Pym technologies branches. We in NO way support the actions of the criminals Rogers, Barnes, Maximoff, Wilson or Lang." Hope was fierce in her tone, pausing for a moment, looking at the reporters before continuing

"Now, I know that is a little strange to hear considering no one has connected us to those actions. But in the belief of transparency being the best policy. It is necessary, to tell the truth. That the suit in which Lang used is known as the ant-man suit. It was created by my father Hank Pym."

At this, the camera's started flashing again this time with a renewed vigor. The vigor that seemed to drown the video footage in white light

"It was entrusted to Lang under the belief that Lang would use it only when necessary. And only for the betterment of the people and their interests. What we have seen it used for was not that!" Hope paused again. Waited for the chattering reporters and flashes of cameras to die down again before she continued

"Pym Technologies, myself, and my father were in no way aware of Lang's desire to join this international crime spree! and are in no way at fault for Lang joining the criminals. However, we do recognize it was our technology that enabled Lang to do what he did. Gave him the power to hurt the people he did. It is with the regret that our tech made this hurt possible. That we, Pym technologies, will be donating 1 million dollars to the Stark Relief foundations. Which are already on the scene giving aid where it is needed. And we will be giving a further $500,000 total to the families who lost loved ones in this crime spree. In the hope that we reduce the stress and hurt that has come from these actions"

The reporters once more started yelling questions and comments at Hope. Who paid nothing and nobody any mind as she bid them farewell and walked off the stage and back into the building.


	5. Chapter 5

**26th June 2016, 10.am New York**

"Hello, Kenneth. I know you dislike it when we call on the normal numbers for business but I have to pull Ana out of school for the rest of the year and I don't believe anyone would be there today"

"Susan? Hey. As okay as can be expected, and you?"

"Tony was sent after Barnes and Rogers and well. Rogers and Barnes left him behind hurt"

"That's good to hear, so, uh, this isn't exactly a social call."

"Of course, thank you for working on a Sunday for me Kenneth"

"Uh, not really, Dad was sent on another attempt to bring Rogers in. And well, it didn't go, well"

"Put the reason down as a family emergency. We're going to try and keep the extent of injuries sustained quite"

"Yeah, yeah he got hurt pretty bad."

"Of course, you have my mobile for any follow-ups on Monday"

"not sure how bad yet, he hasn't made it back yet, but he's in a jet and well, it's looking pretty bad. We're doing everything for him though and we'll keep you updated as we know more. "

"Yes she will be returning next year, but not for the rest of this year."

"From what we know he should heal with time, but it's going to be a long time healing."

"I'll send a Stark Industries employee for her possessions left at school."

"Yeah, of course, you guys can come up sooner. We can send the jet down now if you wanted?"

"Yes thank you"

"Yeah, No that's cool too. So you'll come in like 2 weeks?"

"Oh, okay. I Pepper Potts give you, Kenneth Morita and your staff permission to collect all the belongings from Ana-Marie Starks lockers"

"Yeah, that's the start of summer. Was thinking at least the kids could stay the entire time, you're more than welcome to stay the entire time too. But if you've got to get back for work Pepper is cool for Harls and Madi to stay without you"

"Oh great, Someone should be in this coming week."

"Cool, I'll let everyone know. Bye Susan"

"Not on Ana, but can I ask that you not tell the cousins yet. We just want to get him home and looked at before we tell everyone. Thank you, Kenneth, I'll be in contact"

Pepper and Lilith's words were overlapping, flowing into one another. Both women pacing the length of the kitchen bench. Both talking on their respective phones. Organizing what they could outside of the building for when Tony did make it back. Peggy on the other side of the kitchen bench, stress baking, and Ana eating said stress baked goods. Happy stood off to the side of the bench, drinking his fourth cup of coffee since Friday had told them about Tony's injuries an hour ago.

Lilith's words were halting, from how heavy the words felt coming out from her mouth. She allowed the words to form in all their stilted manner. Knowing Susan Keener wouldn't judge her for her vulnerability.

Pepper, was her usual composed, well-spoken self as she spoke to Kenneth Morita, One of Tony's not quite cousins who also happened to be Ana-Maries principal. Not allowing the frazzled stress of her physical appearance to affect her voice. Even with Kenneth having been raised alongside Tony like all the Howlies kids and grandkids where they where more like cousins than siblings and Pepper was desperately trying to let any details slip before they had a full idea of Tony's condition to tell the entire extended family.

* * *

**An hour ago**

_"I have lost communications systems with Boss." Friday's voice came over the speakers in the main floor area. Where Pepper, Peggy, Ana, and Lilith were sitting, Happy in the open kitchen making a coffee. All five exchanging glances, none of them comprehending what was going on_

_"What?" Peggy is the one to ask, for Friday to loose connection with the suit is unheard of. Even when unable to connect there would always be a loss on the non-suit side._

_"There is an altercation between Boss, Captain Rogers, and Sargent Barnes. Rogers has since removed the helmet stopping communications between boss and me"_

_Fridays Irish lit was strained. Frantic in a way it usually isn't,_

_"attempting re-connection, re-connection failed."_

_"Is Tony injured?" Happy asked, walking over from the kitchen section. The picture being painted getting worse with every word Friday spoke. For the helmet to be removed, it would take the kind of strength that could decapitate, could break necks. Lilith's gut started twisting, in the way that comes before she vomits. Her every muscle tensing while she sat. Her teeth grinding, needing to know what happened but also not wanting to know. Lilith picks up her tablet again, pulling up the suits live-streamed statistics_

_"Scanning. Current indications point to yes." Friday speaks, a pause and then continues_

_"Damage has stopped being inflicted"_

_"Fri, get someone to Dad, now!" Lilith stresses the word now. Looking over the data the suit is sending back to the server live. Bile crawling its way further up her throat with every word she reads off the tablet_

_"Russian officials are on route. Estimated time of arrival 15 minutes" Friday assures the two_

_"Where are Rogers and Barnes?" Pepper manages to croak out, breathless from her own panic, one hand over her mouth,_

_"Scanning." Friday pauses, and though the moments short it seems to stretch on for triple its length_

_"My sensors are damaged. But no other life forms were detected"_

_Friday was hesitant to say, unsure if her sensors were truly working or not, this was not good._

* * *

**1 pm New York**

Lilith and Peggy meet up in Tony's study. Both dressed up in their business suits. Mentally hardening themselves for the push and pull this meeting is sure to be on them. Both wishing to be anywhere else. To not have to discuss business with the military, not while their uncle lays paralyzed only a few floors below. To not have to discuss business while all they know of their father's state is "hurt" and "incoming". But Lilith is the head of Stark industries Medical, so she had always been in on the meeting. Peggy, in her training to take over as the head of R&D, was also going to sit in on the meeting. Now that Tony had been injured Peggy was stepping up to the interim head of R&D. Giving her even more reason for her to be in this meeting. This meeting was scheduled long before the Lagos mess, and even with the topics differing, now that does not mean they can skip it.

"1.10, They'll call any moment now," Peggy speaks from where she's perched on the edge of Tony's desk. Peggy puts effort into looking relaxed. Into looking composed, as though she had not a single problem in her life right now.

"Yeah, yeah," Lilith mumbles. Moving around the desk to her dad's chair, taking a seat. Lilith does her best to also fall into that same business lady mask that Peggy had already pulled on. She manages it as the call notification comes up, Lilith looks to Peggy who nods her readiness back

"Answer," Lilith breaks eye contact with Peggy. Looking towards where the blue holographs of the Air Force generals start forming. They are sitting in the lounge section of the office, as though they would if they had been here in person.

"Doctor Lilith, Miss Peggy" One of the three generals great the two of them

"General." Lilith and Peggy nod politely at him

"It's Doctor Peggy now too, as of early this month" Peggy corrects him after a moment. She did not work her ass off getting those doctorates just for them to be ignored.

"Congratulations then" the second general speaks up nodding to Peggy

"Enough small talk, can the War Machine resume active duty or not?" the third, an older gentleman barks out. His abrupt tone causing the tow others to give him a look Lilith and Peggy nearly miss. Lilith, as primary SI leadership of the meeting, and Uncle Rhodes now head doctor answers.

"Unfortunately not. Colonel Rhodes has sustained irreparable spinal damage from the fall. At current, he has not regained consciousness to be able to run the full test. We have no firm idea of how the injury has affected his range of movement," Lilith explained, using her best 'I'm a doctor, listen to me' voice.

"Is it possible to place another pilot in the armor to fly missions?" the second one asked, trying for the same angle their father had fought many times before

"No. No one without both father and Colonel Rhodes approval can pilot the armor,". Lilith uses the same words to shut them down that she had heard Pepper use before when trying to be nice

"You are not able to elect a temporary pilot until such time as your father and Colonel Rhodes can agree or not?" The third General tries to push, hoping the girls will give in easier than their father or uncle, or Pepper would.

"No. The armor is unlike a plane. In the fact that it must be tailored to the pilot or will cause serious injury. A bit too tall and the pilot won't fit. Even a millimeter too short and any landing not perfect. Well, it would jar the pilot to the point of a brain and/or spinal injury. There is not a single person, outside of our father, that has the level of understanding of the armor needed to alter a suit to a new pilot." Peggy takes over, talking the mechanics of the suit in a way that Lilith wouldn't have been able to. The idea of, now, knowingly having caused a possible spinal injury if they do get their hands on a suit, and the lawsuit it would bring is enough to scare the three generals into backing off.

"Understood, thank you for discussing with us. With your father unavailable, do our other contracts need to be placed on hold? Or have deadlines extended?" The first speaks again. Changing the conversation in a clumsy attempt to sooth any ruffled feathers they could have caused by pushing the armor issue

"No. The protective gear is in the testing fazes. The R&D division and I will be able to complete those to the S.I standards without any delays to the time frame." Peggy assures with a dismissive wave of her hand. The protective vests, which are the next product to go to the military, had been completed well before they needed to be. But blowing them up in the name of scientific testing and improvement. Well, that had been great stress relief while she was working on her dissertation. And Tony was more than indulgent of her blowing them up as it resulted in better products at the end of it all.

"The medical and first aid contracts are with my department. As they always have been, so those are unaffected." Lilith continues on from the end of Peggy's assurances,

"And the vehicles?" the third snaps out again. Both girls were getting the idea that he is now looking for something to be going wrong. He's looking for something he could hold against them

"Are with the approved RND teams still being worked on as we speak. They are on track." Lilith bites back, using enough manners to still be considered polite, while also being a firm FU.

"Doctor Lilith, Doctor Peggy, thank you for taking the time out today to talk with us, one more thing before you leave. Can you alert us when Colonel Rhodes wakes up? We wish to award him the Medal of Honor. For both his service record and this last mission he flew before he is retired,". The first General speaks again. He had obviously been selected as the mediator of the too nice second and too harsh third.

"Of course, General. Thank you" Lilith ends the call with a deliberate swipe of her hands across the control panel on the desk. Waiting for the blue to fully fade before both girls slumped. There was a momentary pause before Peggy spoke

"That old one was a dick!" causing both girls to laugh, and Lilith to gently push Peggy. Peggy, of course, exaggerates the strength of the push by falling off the end of the desk and flopping dramatically to the floor.

"Oh sister, how you have forsaken me. The horror" Peggy says in a flat voice, with over the top hand movements, causing both girls to laugh again

"Oh you weirdo," Lilith says as she joins Peggy on the floor

* * *

**Stark Industries Medical Tower Flight pad, New York 8.pm**

"Take the pod to the surgical floor, let's get him in straight away. Have someone from Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, and Orthopaedics, on standby for a consult." The Stark family was standing off to the left side of the plane's ramp. Watching the medic team moving the pod that Tony was in. As the medics rushed him off into the patient elevator, down to the medical surgery floor, they got their first look at Tony. Lilith immediately knew it was so much worse than they had thought. Tony was too flat, too still, his chest not rising far enough with each breath to have his diaphragm intact. Lilith's heart sunk to her stomach, her face pulling down. Immediately she felt 20 times heavier than she had a moment ago.

"Come on, let's get to the viewing room," Lilith murmurs, already moving towards the elevator intent to head down. The rest of the family following her, knowing already that her behavior is not a good sign

"Um. Doctor Lilith. A moment please?" One of the paramedics called out to her from where they where still waiting by the plane. Lilith looked at her family before walking over to them

"What's wrong?" Lilith went for strong but it came out as a raspy whisper

"When we got to the bunker, there were a few things out of the ordinary we found. Ugh..." The paramedic paused and then took a step to the side. When he did Lilith saw Rogers shield, one section of the rim had small sections of blood on it. Next to it, a metal arm that could only have been Barnes.

"There was also a tape playing on repeat. You should watch it. But not alone, Okay?" The paramedic said as he handed it over. Lilith nodded as she took it

"Can, Can you, put the Shield, shield, and arm over by the cargo load please?" Lilith said tripping over her words, looking down at the tape in her hands. But still gesturing to the boxes that were being taken back to the main tower with Tony when he got out of surgery.

"Yeah of course".

Lilith gave him one last nod before turning and heading back to where her family was waiting. Lilith followed them into the elevator. When she turned around so she was facing forward, in the reflection of the doors she saw Pepper had red-rimmed eyes. Though Pepper was not making eye contact with any of them. Ana and Peggy holding hands. Happy standing right at the very back arms crossed over his chest with a tight look on his face. Her little family breaking as their own kept returning injured. Lilith reached out and took Pepper's hand into her own. Out of the corner of her eye, Lilith saw Pepper look sideways at her. Lilith kept looking straight ahead at the closed elevator doors.

When the doors reopened Lilith let Pepper's hand drop. She started down the hallway. Opening the doors she passed to look in trying to see which operating theatre Tony was being taken into.

The viewing floor started as a long hallway with four doors, two on each side. Each door opening into a movie theatre style set of chairs, the top two rows raised higher than the one in front of it. The only difference to a movie theater is the desks that swing out from the side for writing when necessary. The front wall of each viewing room was a full sheet of clear polycarbonate. Giving a clear view down into the operating theatre without being so fragile as glass.

"He's in theatre two" Lilith speaks up as she looks in the door, opening it fully. She walks in, taking a seat in the front row in the left most of the four seats, pulling the desk up. Lilith turns on the built-in tablet, using it to bring up the health status and instrument reports for Tony.

The Stark family sits in the viewing room for 12 hours. The entire time Tony has pieces of bones removed and several attempts at repairs made.

When the scan of Tony's chest came up on the screen Pepper started crying. Ana making a squeak as she covered her mouth with her hand. Peggy turning a very vile shade of green. Happy clenches his eyes shut for a moment, breathing hard through his nose. Lilith had to look down, blinking the tears out of her eyes, takes a deep breath, and bite her lip before looking back up. Lilith took note of 8 broken costal cartilages, and four broken ribs. Even without confirming it Lilith knows that these injuries came from when Rogers slammed the shield down into the reactor.

Once the chest was braced as best as possible. Once organs patched up as best as possible. Tony was flipped so the fractures in his neck could be treated.

Brain scans also showed possible concussions. Which Lilith supposes makes sense given how much Tony got smacked in the head. How much he had to have been smacked in the head to have broken the helmet off.

* * *

**26th June, News Broadcast**

"The clip we saw there is a second Stark Industries Medical Jet landing at the medical tower here in New York today. There has been no official word of who is in it, we can only speculate at this time"

"Dave, I'm not saying you're wrong, but we know who is in that jet. The whole world watched Colonel Rhodes, aka War Machine, fall on live TV. It's obvious who is in that jet!"

"Christi, normally I would agree. But the Medical Jet flying the Colonel in landed at the main tower at 4 pm on the 25th. The medical PR already stated that that was what the first jet was. This one we have footage of landed at 8 pm Today! A whole 28 hours later, so not even plausibly a decoy jet, and still no word from Stark Industries PR team"

"Dave, You're not saying what I think you're saying are you?"

"Well, if what you think I'm saying is that in that med jet was one of the Stark family than. Yes, I am saying that"

"Oh Dave, this could be very bad!"

"You have a talent for understatements Christi. Think about it! Doctor Lilith Stark was in the United Nations bombing. We saw her being escorted out of the building by a Stark Industries Medical team member. While she was covered in blood! Granted the statement says that was not her blood. But rather from the injured when she assisted until medical teams arrived. But how can they be sure there were NO injuries just by looking at her! Lilith herself has said how many injuries can hide from things like that. And then she had the shortest medical examination of EVERYONE for the entire day! Even those that walked out looking fine had longer check-ups. And then not a day later! She was at the sight of the collapsed tunnel, for 18 hours, that we can track!"

"Oh, Dave! What if it was Lilith in that Medical Jet. With an injury, she got in the bombing and was then made worse trying to help people! We've all seen her level of help! We know it's intensive and she wouldn't rest until everything that could be done is done"

"Right! Making it very plausible that Doctor Lilith overworked herself trying to help. The only other possibility being Doctor Tony Stark"

"But why Tony Stark?"

"Well several hours ago now the United Nations Accords Panel released a statement. A statement saying that Doctor Tony Stark would be heading up the team to bring Rogers, Barnes, and accomplices in. And we have had word that Barton, Wilson, Maximoff, and a man by the name of Lang have been taken into custody. Then later an update saying that Barnes was not responsible for the bombing. That the true perpetrator is in custody, but Barnes is still wanted for other crimes,"

"Still wanted, as in not captured for questioning yet,"

"Exactly, so Tony Stark is the head of bringing them in. The lead for bringing in people we know have no care for their former teammates. Then a medical jet so happens to land with no word of who is in it. This isn't painting a nice picture"

"And, when you think about it, it has to be a Stark family member. No one has seen ANY of the Stark family since Germany. Not even Pepper Potts who never left the country has been seen since then!"

"Exactly Christi"


	6. Chapter 6

**27th June 2016:**

**9 am, New York**

"Wheel the pod in beside Uncle Rhodes pod" Lilith says, gesturing for the medics to bring the pod into the room, Tony had come out of surgery an hour ago, having been placed back into a stabilisation pod. The family had moved him back to the main tower almost immediately, so he could be in the same room as Rhodey. The main tower had a few medical floors on it anyway so it was safe to bring him back, the floors where just not the highly sophisticated set up of the medical tower that was needed for such an extensive surgery. Once it was in and locked Lilith moved about, directing the set up

"Lili, is dad gonna be okay?" Ana asked quietly, leaning against the wall beside the door when all the medical staff had moved out

"Uhm, yes?" Lilith was hesitant, giving a sigh and shaking her head while looking at the floor before continuing, not looking at any of her family, still fussing over the pod "Neurologically, yes he's fine. Or will be. There's a bit of bruising on the front, our right, his left, lobe, which isn't great. But the swelling was minimal and so far there's been no bleeds so that's a positive. There's also signs of a concussion which isn't great considering how many he has had in the past but not it doesn't seem so bad as it needs real worry" Lilith paused looking over the continuous running scan of Tony's brain

"And physically?" Pepper prompted after a moment of silence while Lilith was distracted, while the family may not have understood every part of the brain assessment they could keep up with it, understanding that while bad not critically so.

"Well, that's, that's not so good" Lilith spoke with a sigh, turning to look at the four other family members as she slumped into a chair while speaking

"So, there are 17 fractures across all of Dad's body. Most of them will repair themselves no problem. The four in the Coracoid-" 

"English please!" Ana quickly cut Lilith off, not in the mood to try and translate herself, or guess what Lilith means by the context. Lilith just looked up for a short moment, nodded and started again, pulling up a holo diagram of the shoulder and highlighting the bone she is referring too.

"The inner bone of the shoulder socket, where the arm actually connects" Looking up to make sure they understand where the bone she's talking about is "May cause a problem, in terms of movement, the Coracoid stabilizes it, so depending on how well it heals will depend on if dad gets full movement of his arm back or not-"

"Jesus" Happy mutters, a scowl on his face

"Yeah. It's hard to say from just looking at it now how it will heal because of where it is," Lilith pauses again, not really sure if she should say the rest

"What are you sitting on Lil?" Peggy presses

"There are four individual fractures along the bone, which doesn't inspire confidence in dad regaining full movement" Lilith admits quietly, there's a pause before Lilith shakes herself and keeps going. Determined to get through it, trying to pretend its any other patient and not her dad she's talking about

"There are 2 fractures in his arm bone on the pinky side of that same arm, they should heal no problem. There are also four fractures in the upper part of the hip bone, but they should also heal without a problem, and other than some pain in the cold, it shouldn't affect dad later on. Neither should the two fractures of the cheek or forehead. The nose may cause a little lump when the cartilage heals, but will be otherwise fine. The only other fractures that cause problems are the two in the 4th vertebrae. So that's actually just above the shoulder, there's a fracture on either side that if it doesn't heal fully can cause problems later on, and there is the possibility of partial paralysis in the future" Lilith rushed through it, the fractures being the easiest part of Tony's injuries still didn't mean they are easy to talk about

Lilith took a big breath, gripped the arms of her chair for a moment before rubbing her face with a sigh and started talking again, slowly.

"Dad's chest is a different, severity, all together" Lilith paused, rolling her head to look at the ceiling, before putting her head back in her hands

"Due to the already compromised structure of dads chest it will be a little harder to, know, what is going to happen. So in dads chest before this, when dad got the Arc and the casing out, a donated sternum was put in and donated cartilage was basically wrapped around both the sternum and ribs 3, 4 and 5-" Lilith was emotionless, flat, as she spoke about it

"Wait, which ribs are those?" Happy asked, hands on his own rib area as though trying to count them out. Lilith looked up, a little startled, as though she was wrapped up in her own head to the point that she had forgotten the others where there

"Right, ugh," Lilith uses the holo projections of the room again to bring up a diagram of a normal chest, and turned each section of the ribs into a different color, "So uh, the sternum in blue is the body part, the yellow parts of the ribs are the cartilage part, and the pink part is the rib bones. Right?"

"Yeah, yeah, got it" Happy agrees, Peggy, Ana and Pepper were all nodding

"So, they did all that in the hope that the cartilage would fuse the sternum and ribs like they would be in a healthy body. And well, it worked, but it wasn't as strong as the ribs dad had of his own. And now, the Sternum, and all the cartilage broke again." Knowing her family wouldn't know which is which rib Lilith pointed them out as she spoke of each one "So that's cartilage on both sides of ribs 3, 4, and 5, as well as the cartilage of rib 2 on dads left, and the cartilage of rib 6 on dads right was all broken, and the ribs of 3, and 4 on both sides broke as well"

"So what does that mean?" Peggy asks, leaning forward, resting her elbows on both knees

"Other than that he was lucky the armor kept him pinned so he couldn't move to do further internal damage while also keeping pressure on the wounds so he didn't bleed out within minutes?" Lilith took a breath, it was not her families fault that her father is in this state, they do not deserve to have her anger taken out on them

"That, the ribs themselves should heal, but there is a possibility that the donated cartilage and sternum won't heal because they are donated, so we can either see if Helen Cho can print new bones with the cradle, or we can try and source another set of donated ones and dad will have to go under the knife again to put them in-" Lilith explained, she was quite hopeful about the ribs, sure they would be long and painful to heal, but they should heal

"Medically what would be better for Tony?" Pepper asked, already weighing pro's and con's of each

"Well, that would be the fourth or so time that Dad would go into surgery on his chest so the risks would be pretty high, it's not a small procedure. It's more invasive than you could probably imagine, they literally open his entire chest and remove pieces, replace pieces. The best-case scenario is that the rib cage will heal itself with time. Until we get a determined yes or no on the healing making the next decision is just worrying and stressing for something we can't do anything about right now" Lilith explained, twisting her hands to make an even scale motion

"So we wait?" Ana asked, a frown on her face, clearly not liking this option

"Basically, yeah. We can contact Doctor Cho, and try and find donated sternum and cartilage that would match but if the chest is healing then that's what we want, and right now we have no reason to believe it won't heal" Lilith rations, Ana's face twists further but Lilith just continues on

"Otherwise, Dad had a dislocated ankle, but that was set and is braced, dad doesn't really need a boot right now cause well, he's not using the ankle anyway. And the only other thing was a neck muscle pull but that will heal with time too" Lilith finishes

"Well, if dad will heal, it's not so bad then?" Peggy asks, hopeful that it just looks worse than it really is

"Oh no, It's bad, really bad. But it isn't as bad as it could have been" Lilith says, she looks up to see four relieved faces, Lilith gives a little smile too

"So, Dad is more than likely going to wake up. But at the moment, It is my professional belief we should keep him sedated until he has healed some. Because if he wakes up now and starts moving around it could make several of his bad injuries worse" Lilith admits, making a point of looking all four of her family members in the eye. 

"But, the AMA code of ethics says not to treat your own family for a reason. So if you want to get other opinions then I agree" Lilith made sure to look each of her family members in the eye as she spoke, needing them to know how serious she was about ensuring that Tony and Rhodey had The best care the could possibly get

"I think you should stay as their doctor but maybe get a co-doctor if it makes you more comfortable? But If keeping him out of it will be best for Dad then I'm with you Lili," Peggy says nodding along to her words

"Same" Ana remarks pointing at Peggy, Lilith looked to Happy and Pepper next both of them nodded at her, so Lilith took the go-ahead to start the sedation of Tony. There was a lull in the conversation as Lilith did this

"While we're all here" Pepper started, drawing everyone's eyes to her as she sat prim and proper in her chair. "I don't want this stopping any of our lives" Pepper reasoned, turning to look at Ana's screwed up face 

"I pulled you out of the last week of school this morning, You won't be going back this school year. But that doesn't mean you get to sit in here for the entire time, You can't just let your life fall to the wayside with this. Okay?" Pepper was firm as she spoke, Ana looked away but gave a nod anyway, so Pepper continued. Looking to Peggy next she spoke again

"You can not drop the ball right now, especially now that you are taking over the military contracts. Which means all hands on deck, time to prove yourself ready for this" Pepper started, Peggy was twisting her ring on her finger, not quite looking at Pepper as she tried to smile,

"Peg, you can do it. You graduated summa cum laude, in five programs all at the same time. You are more than capable to do this, you're just going to have to show them you're not a pushover" Pepper encourages her, the smile she gets back is more successful that time, Peggy giving a determined nod as Pepper turned to Lilith

"And Lili, you definitely can't afford to be lacking right now,"

"I know, four new S.I.M.T towers opening around the world and Six global trials being run" Lilith interrupted with a nod

"exactly" Pepper agreed with a small smile and a nod

"Um, did you want me to let the cousins know what's happening. I know you told Kenneth yesterday that we would once we knew what was happening?" Lilith asked, Ana already nodding away, not wanting to have to do it herself

"Yeah, that would probably be best" Pepper nodded, slightly relieved she was not going to be the one to do it.

Lilith gets up and walks out into the hall, typing out a message into the howlie cousin's group chat. Just the basics. once the door was shut Lilith sunk to the ground, dropping her phone back against the wall. Her chest tightened, the tears she had managed to fight for so long spiling down her cheeks. She dropped her head to her knees and gripped her hair tight in her hands. In for seven. Hold for seven. Out for seven. 

Lilith allowed herself this moment of panic. Of no. Of please. Before she took a deep, in and out, wiped her tears away, picked up her phone and continued typing.

" _Hey everyone, so not great to do through a message I know but we wanted you all to hear it from us first. So Dad was sent after Barnes and Rogers by the UN after the whole airport thing. There was a fight between them and he got pretty badly hurt. Russia knew he was going in and was coming not long after, not sure why the delay between them, but Dad was found abandoned in the hydra bunker with Rogers Shield and Barnes's arm. We got him back to SIMT late last night and he was in surgery until not long ago. He's hurt really bad, but he's stable and it all looks like it will heal._ "

There is a lull in the conversation after Lilith walked out. Each one of them not knowing how to continue, unable to articulate their thoughts 

"Can I, can I got to Malibu for the week?" Ana speaks up, her voice small. All three of the other awake occupants in the room look to her

"I just don't think I could actually stay here, in the tower, or in New York and pretend like dad and uncle Rhodey aren't hurt in this room. Pretend like nothing is wrong!" Ana gradually picks up the volume as she speaks, the further she gets into speaking the more her hands are flying about

"So what do you want to do?" Happy asks, interrupting the building rant

"I want to go to Malibu, for at least the last week of the school term. The house still needs the finer details of rebuilding done so I can look in on that." Ana pauses

"Okay," Pepper, tentatively agrees and prompts for the rest of it

"I also want to talk with the PR department there. I want to teach them they can't mess with us!" Ana bursts out, clapping once for each of the words 'they can't mess with us'. Pepper hesitated over that, tilting her head forwards and back for a few moments before coming to a decision.

"Okay, okay. I don't want them to get away with any of this either, so okay. But! You must take Happy with you, you will work up the plan for this with the PR department, and will then follow the plan when you do destroy them" Pepper reasoned, a smile grew over Ana's face as Pepper agreed

"Okie Dokie can do" Ana smiled back at her

"Why don't we fly down at say, 12 today? That's 3 hours, enough time to pack, and eat lunch" Happy adds in, and Ana makes finger guns with a smirk

"Before we go to lunch I just want to tell you all that last night, while Tony was in the operating room, Fri sent me a message that General Ross left on Tony's phone. I'm not going to play it for you, but basically it said 'get here or else' while Rogers was breaking co out of prison." Pepper paused, and then smiled shyly and giggled as she said "So I sent every scrap of evidence we have on him to the FBI, dug up all the illegal activities SHIELD had on him and sent them too, everything about his global chase of the Hulk and how he was apart of making it and the Abomination, EVERYTHING" 

"Clap back Pep!" Ana squeals out with a laugh, clapping as she speaks

"Any word on what happened with it?" Peggy asks, a huge smirk on her face

"Not officially, one of the agents told me off the record that because of the extreme nature of the crimes that it's being given to the ICC" Pepper admits, Peggy claps a little while still laughing

* * *

**27th June 2016:**

**6 pm, New York**

The three Stark women left at the tower were about to sit down for dinner when Peggy's phone rang

"What the shit, who even calls anymore" Peggy grumbled as she got back up to answer her phone that was sitting on the bench

"Yah?" Peggy spoke as she moved back over to the table

"Hello, Is this Peggy Stark" a breathless female that Peggy couldn't recognize the voice of answered her from the other end of the line

"Yes, it is. What do you want?" Peggy tilted her head, a frown coming across her face, not trying to be rude but never really having had a positive experience with strangers calling her

"Um, Doctor Stark I'm Agent Williams with the New York FBI branch. If you've got a moment could we get you to answer some questions for us please?" Agent Williams sounded more stressed than breathless the more she talked, but Peggy was just really confused as to what they wanted with her

"Can I ask what this is about?" Peggy said, looking up to see Pepper and Lilith looking at her while they ate, Peggy made a hand motion of wait while she took another bite of dinner

"Yeah, of course, we have reason to believe the ex-vengers are in the states once more and are hoping that you may be able to answer some questions about where they could be" Peggy's mouth dropped, she scrambled to pull up a projection of the tracking apps

"I may have something better for you, give me half an hour and I'll be there" Peggy says, an idea forming, hanging up and pulling the information down into a single file

"Peg?" Lilith asks, reaching over to touch her arm "What's going on?" she probed gently

"That was an Agent Williams, from the FBI. They have intel that the others have returned to the US of A, they're hoping we can track them" Peggy says, still typing away. Lilith and Pepper share a look

"I'll put your dinner into a container," Lilith says, getting up and pulling Peggy's plate out from between her arms and setting off to the kitchen with it as Pepper spoke

"I'll get the car ready" pulling out her phone to text the usual driver

"Fri, pull this onto the thumb drive in my tablet for me. The SI branded one" Peggy spoke as she stood up, heading towards her room

"I'm gonna change out of my jammies and then head in. Leave the container on the bench and I'll grab it on my way out. Thanks," Peggy called over her shoulder as she walked towards the elevator. It was a quick change, putting on a bra, a pair of leggings, and throwing her Stark expo jumper on over the top, she then walked back out her room while putting her hair up into a bun messily.

"Okay. Heading out, that one mine?" Peggy asked as she walked through the common floor

Lilith twisted around in her chair and called out a "Yeah, on the bench. Knife and fork on top" and waved as Peggy walked out the door

As promised it was right on the half-hour mark as Peggy got into the FBI building, walking up to the front desk she spoke to the lady there

"Hey, Peggy Stark. An Agent William's is expecting me", after getting a 'Down that hall, third door on the left' Peggy thanked her and headed off following the instructions. When she found it she noticed it was a big conference room, filled with about 15 people, looking around to make sure it is the right room. She knocked on the door and stuck her head in

"Uh, hi. Is There an Agent William's here?" she was quite uneasy just walking into the room like that, unsure if she was even at the right one

"Doctor Stark! Yes! Hi! I'm glad you're here so soon! I'm Agent William's, you said you had something for us!" An excitable woman, shortish, about 30 years old, curly black hair shaved short on both sides but longer on the top, came through the crowd from the other side, shaking her hand excitedly as she led Peggy further into the room

"Yeah, I have a tracker and eyes and ears inside the plane for you," Peggy said, slightly off-put by how bouncy this agent is

"And you're just giving this to us?" another one of the agents asked, an older agent, kind of greying

"Uhm, sort of agent?" Peggy looked at the agent that had just spoken, fishing for a name a little

"Agent Frankie" The man spoke slowly, frowning at Peggy as he did

"Right well," Peggy shook her head, frowning a little before turning back to Agent Williams, talking to her and the few agents behind her instead,

"We thought they would have dumped the jet right after leaving Russia. Before they got into them for the first time they had to sign paperwork stating they knew we tracked the jets and have A.V data banks. So we hadn't bothered to bring it up, or bring it forward-"

"Agent Donaldson, How much can you give us?" The agent sitting to her left asked

"I brought you a thumb drive. It's the A.V logs and the GPS logs since they took the jet in Germany right up until the very second it's being said, as it's being said it will go into the logs. As well as a program that tracks the jet currently and gives you the current A.V and where they are. Gives you second by second, everything in and about that jet." Peggy said with a smile that was only a little vindictive

"Just this jet?" Agent Frankie speaks up, looking suspicious. Peggy just gives him a dumbfounded look, turning in her chair she looks him straight in the eye and says 

"S.I.M.T in the US alone has a fleet of 300 med jets. 30 medical mission planes, 180 helicopters, and countless ground transportation. All of that would all come up if I didn't. Let alone adding in the other 14 Stark Industries sectors which all have their own transport units. Let alone adding in every other country who has fleets just as big if not bigger. And if you can't count that high what I'm telling you is if we didn't single this one jet out for you would be looking for a sewing needle in a pin needle stack" Peggy snarked back, giving him a sharp smirk before turning back to Agent's Williams and Donaldson

"Well, thank you for the consideration" Agent Donaldson spoke, reaching over the table but not actually putting his hand on her arm, just putting his hand down in front of her arm in an aborted movement.

"These people hurt my family, bad. We're going to do as much as we can to help you find them and bring them to justice" Peggy said, nodding along to her own words as she speaks

"How do we get this up and running?" Agent Williams asks with a small sympathetic smile

"Give me the laptop you want it on and I'll set it up. If you want it on the T.V I can show you how to do that too" Peggy offers gesturing to the T.V on the wall as she does, then pulling the thumb drive out of her bag with a 

"It says Stark Industries on it so you know which one it is"

It took only a few minutes, Peggy typing away at the keyboard rapidly.

"Okay, and I am done," Peggy said looking up from the laptop with a smile 10 minutes later. Peggy turned the laptop around for the screen was facing them

"So, the numbers on the map are the order of stops. To know the details, just click on the number, it'll bring up a little side bubble that will have details, like how long the stop was, the exact coordinates of the stop, links the Audio Visual from the duration of the stop and a few other things" Peggy said clicking on the latest stop

"Hu," Peggy said, turning the laptop back to her

"Hu, what?" Agent Frankie demanded moving into her space

"Back up and I'll tell you" Peggy demanded with a sneer at him, she refocused on agents William and Donaldson

"The jet has only recently left America," Peggy said, zooming in on the map to where it's last stop had been, in the back paddock of a Cedar falls in Iowa. Clicking on the Audio Visual of it, a video came up of Barton, Maximoff, Wilson, and Rogers all standing on the tailgate of the plane. 

_Romanoff could be seen walking across the grass towards the plane with a bag in her hand_

_"Look, I have to get back to my family Cap. You know I'm with you, but I also gotta be a dad for my kids" Barton says, bag in hand, halfway down the ramp_

_"Yeah, I get it, Clint. Say hi to Laura and the kids for us" Rogers says, all three wave goodbye as Barton turns to walk off. Romanoff having just arrived at the bottom of the ramp gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before she heads in_

_"We've got to move" Romanoff spoke, walking passed all three and into the main bay of the jet_

_"What, Stark isn't coming after us. We've got time" Rogers dismisses as he steps in, Wilson and Maximoff following him, Wilson hitting the button to bring the door up as he did_

_"Don't fool yourself into thinking that just because no one is here yet that they're not coming" Romanoff snapped back. Tugging on her hair a little, it's not a tell that Peggy knows her to have, so she frowns a little unsure if Romanoff was playing her the entire time they interacted or if she is playing those three in this moment_

_"Hey man, I know you got some belief that Stark is good or something but I gotta agree with Nat on this. I use to fly Stark jets like this as warbirds and there are so many different trackers and recorders that I'm more shocked that there's not already people here" Wilson spoke, fidgeting from foot to foot before visibly pulling himself together and heading into the cockpit following Romanoff._

_"Steve, Stark isn't really watching us?" Maximoff spoke once Wilson and Romanoff were both in their seat, her tone a whining sort of annoying_

_"No, I don't think Stark would. He's not that bad as to invade our privacy" Rogers said, laying a hand on Maximoff's shoulder before he let it fall and moved towards a seat. Maximoff followed him taking her own seat_

"Well that's, eye-opening" Agent Donaldson spoke up moving backward from where he had leaned in to see better

"While you're here, any idea where they're going?" An agent standing near a map at the back of the room asks 

"knowing Natasha is there and there are those four, the only thing I can think of is from there they might head to Norway, Sweden or Finland. They wouldn't go somewhere where they don't speak the language cause that would stand out too much and they would want to go somewhere where their skin tones will blend in, but they'd stay away from the more western nations who would be on our news. Rogers would be convinced that Sweden is safe to, considering he hasn't thought about the world unless it's in conjunction with his time" Peggy reasons, trying to think critically about everything she knows of Natasha

"Also, Barton, what can you tell us there?" Agent Donaldson pressed her

"Well, Clinton Barton's wife owns a farm in Waverly, so that's likely where he is headed. But Laura who's his wife, and their three children left the Farm only a few hours after Barton walked out on them. They're in one of our houses in New York or will be soon, I'm not really sure how long it takes a truck with three young kids to get to New York" Peggy admitted, looking Agent Williams straight in the eyes

"Thank you for your help Doctor Stark," Agent Williams said, standing up and gesturing to Peggy do the same

"Just before you go, Doctor Peggy, Can we use this on any device?" Agent Donaldson asks, leaning over the table towards where she had been walking out of the room

"Yeah, that's what took so long. Just plug the USB in and when it asks for a sign in its FBI@starkindustries.com with FBI1 as the password, all caps" Peggy said with a smile and a nod as she walked out the door to head home.


	7. Chapter 7

**8.30 am 27th June 2016:**

Scott knew from the moment Captain America arrived at the raft to break them out that nothing was good. That **he** had screwed up. Screwed up **bad**.

Well, if Scott were, to be honest. He would say he had known things weren't right when it was guys in tactical uniforms arresting them. Tactical uniforms with BPOL written on them.

When the guys at the airport read him what sounded quite like the Miranda rights. When later, in a cell the charges written down and handed to him said aiding and abetting terrorist actions.

Captain America had told him 'We're outside the law on this one'. And Scott, he understood that. Was ready for all the legal consequences of prison time that would come with. He had been outside the law on the Vistacorp job too, but it was the right thing to do. Even when it meant going to jail.

But then Stark turned up at the Raft. It was obvious Stark hadn't known anything about the psycho assassins. But, well, that didn't make sense. Of Course, Captain America would tell Stark! Stark who would be inside the law and could deal with it, could assist even if it wasn't in full.

The feeling in his gut only got worse when he watched the scarlet witch smile as she used her powers. Used her powers against 14 guards waiting in the hanger. 14 guards doing their jobs, only for them to start fall to the ground, twitching, mouths open in a silent scream. His guilt skyrocketing as he said nothing and followed the others. Scott gave one last glance back and watched one of the guards claw at his eyes.

"Hey Cap, you know I'm with you but I gotta get back to my kids," Barton spoke when they where on the jet, as head took the pilot's seat. Sam taking the copilots. Scott saw his opportunity to get out, to get away, and no way no how was he going to waste it

"Same with me," he spoke up trying to sound normal, not sure if it worked, but he pressed on anyway

"My peanut needs me you know"

"Of course, we can drop you close before leaving. We've gotta pick up Nat anyway" Rogers said taking the seat by the cockpit, but not sitting in it.

"Nat?" Barton asked confused

"She held T'Challa back so we could get out. got herself on the wrong side of Stark for it," Rogers explained, a tight look coming over his face as he mentioned Stark

Needless to say the flight back to the states was one of the most awkward situations he'd ever been in. Not in typical awkwardness, but more so in tension, in the way in which no one is willing to look at each other. But he got through, huddled up in his little corner, staying well away from the scarlet witch. Not daring to look at her, in case she sees that as a threat too. Scott refused to give her an excuse to use her powers on him.

They dropped him in a sporting field. One not far from Maggie's house. Dropping him there because Scott directed them to it with a

"You'll not be able to get close enough to their house, they're in a populated area".

Scott walked the rest of the way there, head down and hood up, from he doesn't even know who's clothes in the jet. Scott was intending to go inside. Right up until he was standing on the sidewalk watching Cassie play through the front window. Right up until he could see Maggie and Paxton talking in the back room. Close enough to see Cassie but far enough that Cassie couldn't hear them. Faces tight in a way that makes it clear it's about him, about this round of trouble. Scott stands there for a few minutes when he sees Hope come around the corner of the wall and hands a hot drink to Maggie. Hope looking shaken herself.

And Scott? Scott can't dump them in it again. Can't make them fix his mess. So he turns and keeps walking. Walking back into the city, to where he knows the FBI building is. Only pulling his hood away from his face when he gets there and walks in.

"I'm Scott Lang, here to turn myself in. I'm willing to cooperate in return for leniency"

Things move fast from that point, at a pace that spins Scott's head.

It seems only moments later when he's in an interrogation room. There is two officers standing in front of him. Separated from him by a table. One with 'ICC' and the other with 'FBI' written on their jackets having asked

"Why?"

"I never meant to hurt anybody. I swear it! Rogers told me it was the fate of the world at stake! Said there where psycho HYDRA assassins getting let loose. Said that if we didn't get to them they were going to be set on the population. That they could do the sort of damage no one had ever seen before outside of nightmares. I knew we'd be outside the law in some way. And honestly? I was okay with that. I thought we'd handle the problem. Then take what consequences came, explaining afterward why it was necessary to do what we did. But this! A 711 parking lot style fight with other Avengers. What Rogers did, what **Maximoff** did at the Raft! That was not what I had been told! Not what I signed up for!"

"And you're willing to turn on them, the rouge avengers, help our investigation, in return for what?" The ICC investigator asks

"I'm willing to bring people who have no care for human life to justice. I ask for leniency for me, or at very least protection for my daughter, her mum, and her mum's husband. My family had nothing to do with any of my actions, I didn't even tell them where I was going. Or that I was going. I don't care if protecting them means I do time again!" Scott spoke while looking between the two officers. Begging with every ounce of body language he could think of for them to listen to him.

"Okay. Before we go any further, do you want a Lawyer? Knowing that at any time if you change your mind you can ask for one?" The FBI agent asks him. Scott knows from this that they're trying to follow every single bit of protocol they can. That they're taking no risks in messing this up. The two take a seat at the table while the ICC takes the other seat across from him

"No, no, I don't care about that. I did wrong. I messed up by not asking questions. Now I need to make up for it" Scott says, shaking his head where it sits in his hands, elbows on the table.

"Okay look. The best we can do for you is two years of house arrest with very close monitoring. Followed by two years of community service. In return, you cooperate with our investigations and testify in court. That means against Steve Rogers. Against James Barnes. Against Samuel Wilson. Against Clinton Barton. Against Natasha Romanoff. Against Wanda Maximoff. And against Thunderbolt Ross. Do you understand?" the ICC investigator pulls out the paper and reads what they are willing to do, willing to give as leniency

"Yes, yes. I agree with that!"

* * *

**5.30 pm 28th June 2016:**

**Four days after Rhodey hit the ground, three days after Siberia.**

Lilith's day had not been great. Working from the medical tower offices to put out the spot fires that had cropped up while she was away. Working to get through the mounds of paperwork that had piled up while she was away.

Needless to say, she was thankful to be home. Kicking off her shoes and dumping her bag at the elevator door. She dragged herself over to the kitchen Island. Sunk into one of the bar stools and rested her head on her arms.

The clink of glass on the bench next to her head had her looking up,

"That new chocolate bailey, with ice cream" Pepper explained nodding at her own glass. And then at the martini glass, she had put next to Lilith

"Your day that good too?" Lilith muttered, loud enough for Pepper to here

"About the same as yours and Peggy's. From the way you looked coming in the door" Pepper rolled her eyes as she spoke, taking another sip. Lilith looked sideways to see Peggy with her own martini glass as she cooked

"Gasp, naughty Peggy!" Lilith teased her younger sister for the underage drinking with a smile on her face

"I'm running a multi-trillion dollar R&D department at the moment. I can have a drink with my family over dinner" Peggy faked upset as she teased back. Taking a dramatic sip of her drink as she ended her sentence causing both of the other women to laugh.

As Peggy went back to cooking and Pepper back to her tablet Lilith looked around and frowned. Vis wasn't there again. He use to always sit with them and watch Peggy cook.

"Have either of you seen Vision lately?" Lilith frowned, trying to remember the last time she had actually seen him.

"Hm, no. Not since before everything" Pepper looked up at Lilith with a frown for a moment before going back to her work

"I was thinking about that earlier too. I don't think I've seen him since then either" Peggy added, not turning away from the food.

"The last time Vision was on the common floors was when he returned from Germany" Friday spoke up, worry in her artificial voice.

"Why?" Peggy prompted as she moved to pull plates out for dinner

"Earlier today Apollo said Vision has learned something new when I asked. I pushed some more. That something new is how to look human" Lilith explained as she moved to get cutlery out while Peggy dished up

"And that's not a good thing?" Pepper asked, putting her tablet away for dinner

"It might be. I'm not sure yet." Lilith tilted her head back and forth while frowning as she retook her seat

"If it's not?" Pepper prompted as Peggy sat the plates down

"Well, I mean he's only had two years of life experience and for someone that age, seclusion is typical guilt behavior. But in an older person. Altering physical appearance is a good sign of self-realization and mental growth. But Vision isn't mentally two. Nor is he mentally in his teens. So, I'm not sure if it is good or if it is out of guilt," Lilith vented. Glad to be able to voice her worries. She didn't mean to be this analytical of Vision but he's her family and she wants him healthy.

Neither Peggy or Pepper get a chance to say anything though when Lilith pushes her plate away and stands.

"I'm going to talk to him," She says, downing the last mouthful of her drink before heading for the elevator. The doors of which are open by the time she gets there

"Thanks, Fry" Lilith looks to the nearest sensor as the doors close around her.

"Right well. Good talk?" Peggy mutters sarcastically as the doors close whisking Lilith off

Lilith gets off on the family guest floor, making her way down the hall to the Visions room.

"Hey Vis, you in there buddy?" Lilith calls out knocking on his door

"Hello Lilith, you may enter" Vision calls out to her. Lilith opens the door, peering around it to see a sandy blond-haired, blue-eyed white male sitting on the lounge. Once she can get past the shock of the obvious features the clear this male is still Vis.

"Well this is new," Lilith gestured to him, trying to be gentle as she moved into his room to sit on his couch next to him.

"Yes, I thought this the best way to blend in. To look like everyone else" Vision was trying to choose his words, try to not be as sophisticated as he was before.

"Vis, I'll be honest. I came down cause I'm worried about you" Lilith implored, leaning forward to cover his hand with her own

"This might not be the easiest of conversations. Did you want to have it now?"Lilith started broaching the topic. Trying to allow for Vision to have his say in if they spoke about it right now.

"May I know what this talk will be about before I decide?" Vision won't look at her while he speaks

"Of course, it is about the airport fight I just-" Lilith cut herself off. Watching Vision crumple in on himself as he broke down sobbing. His entire body shaking with the force of them.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt anyone! I am sorry! I didn't mean to hurt anyone!" Vision continued to sob as he spoke, gasping out the sobs as he backed further into the couch away from Lilith. Shaking his head back and forth, despair painting his face, the disguise dropping as he lost focus.

"No Vis, no!" Lilith moved towards him. Gathering him into her arms and hugging him, rocking back and forwards. They sat that way, with Vision sobbing, for so long that Lilith was starting to grow uncomfortable. Her legs getting pins and needles in them. But still, she stayed sitting with him, comforting him

"You're okay Vis" Lilith hushed him

"I'm sorry, I'm unsure why I have reacted so" Vision sat himself up, brushing at his eyes. trying to pretend as though it had not happened as he gathered himself.

"Vis, I have an idea. You know, even though you are not android or human. Even though your body looks much older. You have only been alive for two years" Lilith hesitated as she spoke, not wanting to upset him further

"I do not understand" Vision's confusion was clear on his face as he looked at her

"That's okay, I'll try and explain. Did you know it is believed human children have no sense of other, or empathy until they start to feel guilty? And that it is through feeling guilt that they learn empathy?" Lilith tried explaining it in a way that may help him get to the conclusion by himself

"No, why are you telling me this?" Vision was still looking as confused, if not more so than before

"Human children start to learn this feeling. Start to learn guilt around the time that they are two years old" Lilith explained further

"Are you saying I am a child?" Vision frowned, not sure if that fits him, but willing to try and think on it

"In some way's you are." Lilith deadpanned with a shrug. Trying to be gentle. Also knowing that sometimes not dancing around it is the easiest way to get your meaning across

"You may look older. May have the brain capacity of someone older. But when formulated by Dad and Banner, they made you in the human image. And you only have two years' worth of life experience," Lilith was gentle as she spoke. But also firm in a way that she could not be misunderstood from him not hearing her

"So I am a child?" Vision looked confused about it, as though he was struggling not to spiral in his thoughts

"You are," Lilith paused, trying not to mince her words

"hard to define because there was no one like you before you, but yes, in this I would say you are." She paused making sure he understood and that it had sunk in before adding in a teasing tone

"And for a child, you are progressing on schedule. Hitting all the right development stages"

"But, how do I grow? I don't wish to be a child forever!" Vision was getting upset now again, but, in a way where he could not understand and it was annoying him

"Well human children grow through socialization. Be with friends and family, or when they go to school and learn things. If it's what you wanted you could too. Not high school, well if you wanted I'm sure we could get you in with Ana, but a GED could work? Or college classes. I know you like cooking! You could take a few classes where they teach you to cook. And if you like it we can look into a degree for you?" Lilith tried giving him options. But not so many as to overwhelm it

"But, I am not sure that will assist my understanding of emotions?" Vision tilted his head like he was thinking too hard. Trying to work out the ways it could help his emotional state

"No, it wouldn't do much for emotions, not on its own," Lilith admitted, a small frown tugging on her lips. She looked back up at him with a small smile to reassure him

"But, when I get patients that don't understand their emotions? I send them to a therapist who helps them. They talk. Discuss the things that the patient doesn't understand, or if they need to talk some things out. We have some in S.I.M.T if you wanted to meet someone like that?"

"That would be helpful?" Vision was slow in his response, pausing like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to like the option or not

"Okay! Well, how about you come with me tomorrow? Mina is our head of psychology. I'll introduce you. She'll be able to tell us what you've got to do," Lilith said, knowing it would be no hardship to talk to Mina in the morning

"Lilith, It is the practice to have a next of kin on medical forms. Who would I put down?" Vision was hesitant to ask, picking at his fingernails as he spoke, refusing to look her in the eyes

"If you like, you can put me down?" Lilith offered, making an effort to look him in the eye so that he would know how serious she was

"That would be nice"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm a little nervous about this one. The tweet section I tried to show just how "Military Family" the US can be, but I'm not an American so the patriotic feel is replicated from my own country and We're not as "Beat your ass with a sparkly red white and blue stick if you step out of line" as I've seen some Americans make it seem so I'm not sure if I got it right...

**29th June 5 P.M Sydney Australia time | 29th June 1 A.M New York time**

**Coolongolook, NSW, Australia**

"Oi, I don't get it. They're saying that a Stark is like basically dead from this fight but mate it wasn't even that bad. So like how?" It was a 16-year-old, high school student. From a little rural town in the middle of bum fluff nowhere Australia. That posed the question to his online gaming friends

"Mate, I don't even follow the news so how am I supposed to know?" the friend responded, not really focusing on the conversation. The thrill of killing things in the game his main focus

"I'm gonna deep dive it," the first boy said, getting ready to sign out and put his focus on a new task

"Down the rabbit hole," his friend said back sarcastically. Watching as the first boys' gamer tag signed off the game.

**29th June 8 P.M Sydney Australia time | 29th June 4 A.M New York time**

**Coolongolook, NSW, Australia**

Fifteen different keyword searches. Eighty-seven different sights looked at. And the boy finally strikes gold. coming across a youtube account. It doesn't look like much at first. Only has 2 uploads, no subscribers, no one its subscribed too. But by this point, he is willing to look into EVERYTHING.

He clicks on the first video of the account, expecting it to be more nothing.

It was not nothing.

Sitting in rapt shock the boy watches the murder of Howard and Maria Stark.

Watches as Howard recognizes his killer.

Watches as the killer does not even hesitate.

Watches as the kill slams his fist into Howard's face again. And again. And again. And again. And again. All the while Maria is yelling for her husband

Watches as Howard's body stops fighting. Stops twitching.

Watches as Howard picked up like he is nothing, dropped back in the car.

Watches the killer round the car. Sargent Barnes round the car.

Watches as Barnes wraps his hand around Maria's throat until she too stops moving.

Watches Barnes walk up to the camera. Faces it. And shoots it

"Holy fuck" the boy choaks out as he leans sideways and vomits into his trash can. The boy's mother comes running into the room, hearing him vomit. He waves his mother off, who only leaves when he promises he's going to just go to bed early.

The boy pulls up the next video. It is not any better.

Another security camera video. This one with 12 angles. Showing Captain America beating the snot out of Iron Man.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck" The boy mutters. Looking around his room as if to see if anyone else just saw what he did. Making a snap decision the boy pulls up the website to download youtube videos and makes a copy of both of them.

"Jesus. Trent will not believe this unless he sees it" The boy mutters, sending both to his gamer friend with a 'wtf' text.

* * *

**8 A.M New York Time, 29th June 2019 | 12am 30th June 2019 Sydney NSW time**

**S.I.M.T, NYC, New York, America**

"Hey Mina, you got a second?" Lilith asked pushing Doctor Mina's door open after knocking. She and Vision had left the main tower early that morning. Stopping for coffee and breakfast on their way to the tower.

"Doctor Lilith, for you always," Mina says with a smile on her face, looking up from her laptop

"We're actually here about Vision today. Vis is going through some self-realization stuff and isn't sure how to process some things. I said that one of your guys in psychology could help?" Lilith took one of two seats in front of Mina's desk. Vision took the other, movements gangly and uncertain as he tried to act as a human would

"Of course, we're here to help. Let's get him set out with all the paperwork and details and then I'll be free if you'd like to talk to me?" Mina directed the first part at Lilith and the second at Vision, both of who smiled and nodded back

* * *

**30th June 1 A.M Sydney Australia time | 29th June 9 A.M New York time**

**Stark Tower, NYC, New York, America**

"Miss Potts! You have to see this" The newest media intern came running into Peppers office waving her phone about

"Julius, I'll call you back in a minute. See what?" Pepper demanded, hanging up the phone from the second head of legal.

The young intern moved forward turning her phone to Face Pepper and hitting play on the video,

" _Breaking news! Early this morning a young Australian found what could be the most shocking news we have seen ever. Videos of the double murder of Howard and Maria Stark! As well as the video of Captain America and Sargent Barnes beating Tony Stark near to death._ "

"Stop this" Pepper said already getting the idea of what going to happen but not wanting to see it. The young intern hits pause on the video

"Thank you," Pepper says in place of a dismissal. The intern nods and walks to the door

"Miss Potts, you should know. There are crowds growing outside the building, and um, there's a hashtag. Team Iron Man" The intern says before she shuts the door.

Once the door was firmly shut Pepper sunk into her chair, elbows on her knees. Dropping her head to her hands Pepper shook her head back and forth.

"Fri, get me onto the others now"

"On it boss Lady"

* * *

**30th June 1 A.M Sydney Australia time | 29th June 9 A.M New York time**

**Twitter.**

Jack @Jack "Just saying. If I watched my parents be murdered next to their murderer. Well I’d be the same. #TeamIronMan"

It's Laura @OMG_its_Laura "WTF I thought he was captain America not captain terrorist #TeamIronMan"

Jennifer Wright @JenAshleyWright "Iron Man: We keep killing civilians Maybe the UN should put some checks in place. Captain America: I love Bucky and being a criminal#TeamIronMan"

CW @Charles "News Right now: Sargent Barnes murdered The Starks. ME: Wait, what, wait, hu, oh, oh fuck. #TeamIronMan"

Optibotimus @optibotimus "Two superhuman war criminals beat up orphan with heart problems after one killed his parents. You know I'm #TeamIronMan"

Doctor Jen @ActualBrainDoctor "Tony's reaction is completely in line with standard grieving patterns. Rogers and Barnes should not have reacted so violently. They made it worse#TeamIronMan"

CaptainAmerica @SteveRogers (Verified) "This is all being made look worse than it truly is I only disabled the suit It was only done because Tony was trying to kill Bucky It was not Buckys fault Hydra made him kill Howard"

Jawnsey @RedWhiteandBlue "WTF does Rogers really think thats going to make it better. Man we watched you beat Stark to the ground and then we watched as you deliberately left him. Never leave a man behind. Never!#TeamIronMan"

Samual @TheMilitaryIsMyFamily "Never leave a man behind. No matter what. #Notmycaptain #TeamIronMan"

Kait @MilitaryWife "YOURE SUPPOSE TO BE HIS CAPTAIN BUT YOU LEFT HIM. YOU BEAT HIM. YOU BROKE HIM. YOU ARE NOT MILITARY #TeamIronMan #NotMyCaptain"

Merida @AirForceBlues "Holy Shit. #TeamIronMan"

Julius @ArmyMan "No. that is not army behavior #TeamIronMan"

Mercedes @PrivateInTheAir "No! You are no captain. I can't believe I ever thought you were one of us #TeamIronMan"

Kain @Kainincamo "was Rogers ever even in the Army. None of us would ever leave a man behind. Let alone beat them to near death and then leave them in enemy territory #TeamIronMan"

MilitaryMuma @MilitaryMuma "I can't believe my boy ever wanted to be like you. #yourenotmilitary #TeamIronMan"

Mrs. Lou @PilotMum "Will be throwing out all Captain America merchandise my kids have. In this house we support our boys and girls but you are not one of them #TeamIronMan"

Mumabear @ProudMotherOfArmyBoys "He gives our boys a bad name. We have had five generations of military men in my family. Captain America is nothing like a captain should be #TeamIronMan"

Louis @MediaScurge "Guys, this doctor went on TV talking about it. Check it out #TeamIronMan"

"Look, I'm not Tony Starks Doctor so I in no way know the true damage of what was done. But from watching the videos, I would expect at minimum blunt force trauma to the head and chest from where the Shield was slammed into him. Dislocations of leg joints, Tony was swung about by his ankle several times, had one of the boots beaten to the breaking point while it was in use. Possible spinal damage, we saw him fall through the Silo tube, hitting his back on the metal grates several times. I would be concerned about concussions and brain bleeds from all the times we see his head hit the ground. I would also be looking for electrical damage. We only know of two people who know what the suits are like, and what damage they can take, Tony Stark and Colonel Rhodes, both of who can not help. I would be concerned about what happened that we couldn't see when the pieces where broken. I would also be concerned about Frostbite considering he was pulled out of Siberia. Again, I am not Tony Stark's doctor so I in no way know anything about his true state. But that's what I would expect to see if he were my patient"

Okay Karen @NotIntoYourMess "@MediaScurge, I found another one. A Phycologist #TeamIronMan"

"We train doctors to know that families are likely to get violent in this situation, military men and women, police, first responders, basically anyone who has the job of delivering this sort of news to families is also trained to know this. In the US we train our people to react to this violence in one of two ways. The first is you give the family space, you delivered the news so you are the target. So you walk away, give them time to compose themself and then come back later. Or the other way is you hold them, restrain them in a hug kind of manner, knowing they are likely to swing at you, to hit, punch, scratch, but you just keep holding, their anger will drain away. So yes, in a standard situation we expect violence, so much so that police have noted that a lack of violent reaction upon first being told will actually indicate a hand in the death. But In Tony Stark's case combine that natural reaction with the fact that Tony had been lied to about it for years, that the elder Starks where murdered had been covered up, and the murderer is standing right next to Tony, and the person on the other side of Tony lied to him about it for years. Well I couldn't think of a situation more likely to delve into violence than that one"

* * *

**30th June 1 A.M Sydney Australia time | 29th June 9 A.M New York time**

**Waverly, Iowa.**

Laura looked down at her ringing phone with a sigh. She knew he would call when he was released back to the farm and realized that she and the kids were no longer there. With another sigh, she walked into the stairwell so the kids couldn't hear her before answering as she sat down

"What do you want?" it wasn't the hard snap she wanted, she was just too tired to actually manage that

"Laura, where are you? Where are the kids? Are you okay? I swear to go it Stark did anything-"

"Oh my fu- will you just stop!" Laura yells as she jumps to her feet pacing as she rants at Clint through the phone

"Honestly! What were you expecting? You left us! You where retired. You had been for months. But the minute that doe-eyed little terrorist **bitch** bats her eyes at you she was more important than the commitments made to your family? More important than our vows? You don't get to act like some big hero now. You don't get to pretend like you didn't walk out on your family!" Laura sighed as she finished, all her anger draining as quickly as it came. She sinks back to where she had been sitting on the stairs.

"The kids are safe. And as happy as the can be after their father left them thinking they weren't good enough for him" Laura drops her head into her hand as she mutters it out

"Don't call again" it sounds stronger than she feels as she hangs up before breaking into sobs. Covering her mouth with her hands to try not and alert the kids. God, she will miss the man she married, the man she was to spend her life with, but the man who walked out on them was no longer that man. The Clint he is now, she doesn't know if she can trust that man around her kids. She doesn't know that man.

* * *

**30th June 1.10 A.M Sydney Australia time | 29th June 9.10 A.M New York time**

**S.I.M.T, NYC, New York, America**

Only 40 minutes after leaving Vis and Doctor Mina Lilith got a call from Pepper

"Yah Pep, what's up?" Lilith asked as she answered, seeing the holo-projection forming, Pepper pacing back and forwards, Lilith is struck with a vivid image of Pepper doing so in front of her wall of windows that overlook the city, and five PR and media team members sitting on Lilith's couch, from the way they slightly overlap Lilith can tell that they are all spread out through their own offices

"Look, At this point. Getting the video's taken down won't do much. They are already out there, they have been downloaded and we'll never get every copy" One of the Media team members talk, Lilith realizes they must have started talking before she answered

"Okay, so what. A press conference?" Pepper asks, still pacing

"It doesn't have to be a press conference. But it would be best to say something yourselves," the woman sitting next to the last guy to talk answers Pepper

"What do you recommend?" Lilith pipes up, already knowing they would have to say anything, even if it as just a short tweet

"A press conference would be good, but it opens the possibility of the reporters taking questions in a direction we don't really want them too" The woman answers

"But a video release would give us a more intimate control over what information goes out" The man argues

"But if we do a video release we won't reach everyone. We need to play to the media that everyone knows and trusts. News outlets." A younger member of the team argues, one of the long time paid interns.

"Okay, so a press conference. Call it for the end of the working day, at 5 pm. In our press room" Pepper says putting an end to the arguing. The five all nod and their holo-projects fade out as they hang up

"Pep, you okay?" Lilith probes, Pepper faces away from her in a way that makes Lilith certain she was right in the thought that Pepper is pacing in front of the windows, and now looking out of them back in her own office across the city

"Hmm, I will be once we get this back in hand" Pepper sighs. Running a hand through her hair before she too fades out.

* * *

**10 A.M New York Time, 29th June 2019**

Lilith had spent the first half-hour of her day at SIMT with Vision and Doctor Mina, filling out all the patient paperwork as best they could. Things were a little different for the created being as opposed to a born one had held the process up a little. But they had gotten through it and Lilith had left Vision there while she returned to her own office, to finish up the backlog of paperwork that had been building up while she was in Lagos, and then the additional paperwork of Romania and the Accords signing disasters. It was several hours since her reaching her office when Doctor Mina and Vision showed up at her door.

"Hey, guys! So how'd it all go?" Lilith said as the two took a seat across from her.

"Well, Vision would like to include you in knowing about his treatment. So I will say that you were right in saying that in some ways Vision is like a child." Doctor Mina started, smiling at Vision kindly as she spoke to Lilith

"Developmentally, we can't place him in one bracket or another. his knowledge and maturity levels I would place at late teens early 20's. But emotionally? Socially? He struggles with areas that 2-year-olds meet," Doctor Mina was kind as she explained all this.

"So what's the plan?" Lilith asked with a smile on her own face. It would be good for Vis to have something to occupy himself with. To work towards and feel productive in.

"I'd like to see him once, maybe twice a week, where we can talk over everything and anything. But on the other days of the week I'd like him to have a journal running. Where he writes down all the things that confuse him. Things that he is uncertain about. When he feels as though he can't answer the 'right' way. And when he comes in we discuss and work on it" That sounded reasonable. a forward progressing plan, that is structured enough to make Vis comfortable. But still allows them to work for him rather than be restricted in the structure.

"Okay, that sounds great. We can get you a journal this afternoon if you like? Or if you want a specific looking one you can look online?" Lilith voiced her agreement and tried to show her encouragement

"Yes, this afternoon sounds as though it would work. We are going to work on the sense of self, and my consent first. I am beginning to practice" Vis puffed up when he said he was beginning to practice. smiling brightly at her as he did.

"That's awesome Vis, I'm proud of you" Lilith gave him a thumbs up.

* * *

**30th June 9 A.M Sydney Australia time | 29th June 5 P.M New York time**

**Stark Tower, NYC, New York, America**

Lilith and Peggy walk out on stage together, hand in hand, to stand behind the podium waiting for them

"We thank you all for your concern at this time. Speculation about the extent of the injuries my dad and uncle sustained has been rampant at the moment, so to clear that up a little, yes they were both very badly injured, but they are both expected to heal. They have been placed into medically induced comas to assist the healing process. But there is no reason to fear, SI and SIM and every other SI branch are still running, still functioning, still working at the same levels we always have been." Lilith kept it short and sweet, knowing that no matter what she said there would be a million questions coming. every reporters hand shot up, proving her point.

"Ben Garry, Newsday. Having had the Exvengers as a part of your lives for so long, do you support what is being said about them?" a short kind of pudgy bald man asked when the facilitator pointed to him

"Well, we're getting right to our opinions on that, are we? Okay then, so as everyone knows I was in Lagos with a team over the past month. What had started as a search and rescue mission ended with us pulling bodies out of the rubble of an exploded hospital, a destroyed infectious disease control center, and one of the most popular markets in the city. Rubble of buildings exploded by American citizens, and American visa holders, none of which had any legal right to operate in the country affected, none of which had even alerted the country affected that they would be within their borders. And if that wasn't bad enough. Then, I left to go to Vienna for the signing, where within hours I was performing emergency first aid on foreign diplomats, too many of which laid dead around me because of actions believed to be by an American citizen, granted we now know the bomb was not actually him but at the time we didn't, at the time we had video proof of it being him. And that wasn't even the last of it! Within hours of walking out of that building, I was organizing hospitals, med schools, Doctors, nurses, and volunteers alike to work with the Romanian officials so as many people as possible could be saved. Why? Because Rogers, Wilson and a Foreign enhanced King decided they knew what was better than the 30 coordinating Justice system agencies trying to protect the people of that nation. Our own counter-terrorism units were involved in the coordination! But because Rogers, Wilson, and the King thought they were better than the people trained to deal with these situations, Barnes had the opportunity to bring a tunnel down on civilian heads! People just going about life as they normally would. In their own country. Where brutally murdered! How dare you stand here, asking if I support what is being said about them. When I was there as a two-year-old baby girl was pulled out the rubble of that tunnel. Her mother's body curled around her. A desperate act to protect her child! Both of them dead! Because of the actions of enhanced people with NO RIGHT to be in that country. You want to know if I support what's being said? I want to know how you don't when that is what they do."

"You sound quite emotional, does that cloud your vision at all?" Ben Garry from Newsday spoke up again, having seen a weak spot and was intending on pushing it repeatedly to try and get as much of a scoop as he could

"You sound as though no matter what we say, or what evidence comes to light you are fine with American citizens breaking international laws however they want and killing whatever people they wish. Does that cloud your judgment? Next Question" Peggy answered for her, giving Lilith a moment to pull herself together again

"Doctor Stark, the elder one" Lilith pinched her side behind the podium to stop the physical reaction of an eye roll

"Yes, Miss Everhart?" She answered monotonously

"Two questions, First can you confirm the validity of the videos we have seen in the media of the Siberian bunker. And for clarification, you are saying you wish to see the Exvengers behind bars?"

"Miss Everhart," Lilith cut herself off with a deep breath in "In an ideal world no one would ever be behind bars because no one would ever hurt people, therefore never break laws. In an ideal world none of that would have ever happened because terrorist actions like the ones that caused the destruction would not have happened. However, this is not an ideal world and when you break the law you face the consequences, no matter who you are, and when they are judged in court and found to be guilty I will not feel bad for them, because they are ALL adults who made their choices." Lilith ended with a sigh, honestly, it wasn't that hard of a concept to grasp. Do bad things, get in trouble.

"Speaking for myself, Ana, and Stark Industries we also agree with what Lilith has just said. As for the validity of the videos I can confirm that they are real, the Iron Man suit that dad was wearing also had a video being sent back to the main server but due to it being an ongoing legal investigation we will not be released to the public at this time... And due to it's horrifying and graphic nature it may never be released" Peggy put in, knowing how much Lilith did not like Everhart and would not want to say more to her than necessary.

"Peggy, on what you just said are you implying the Stark family is pressing charges?" Everhart questioned, knowing Peggy was the more media-friendly of the two sisters

"Yes we are, but at the moment those charges are undecided as to whether they will be attempted murder or murder" Peggy answered, her voice tight with how much Everhart was annoying her. Honestly, she had not gone through all that schooling to get her doctorates to not have them respected in the most basic ways.

"Lindsey Kalligan, Wall Street Journal. I'm sorry murder?" came from the back of the room

"Yes well you see, when a vibranium, the strongest metal on earth, shield is repeatedly smashed against a titanium alloy chest piece the titanium alloy tends to buckle in and shred the person under it, quite like shredding pork" Lilith mimed the action of repeatedly hitting something bellow her, but at least attempted to make her tone nicer, even if her words where sharp

"There is also the fact that the arc reactor is a reactor and while the safest of all reactors, and safer than just about every other power source, if damaged can cause a small implosion, sitting that close to our father's chest it would take out half of his body" Peggy deadpanned

"What we're saying is that the injuries our father sustained are serious and life-threatening, at the moment he is stable but within a moment's notice that could change. So please bear with us at this time if we are not jumping to answer your every question" Lilith finished before squeezing Peggy's hand and walking off stage as Peggy followed.


	9. Chapter 9

**30th June 2016:**

**Noon, Stark Tower, New York City**

Pepper looked up at the knock on her office door, in time to see Laura stick her head in

"Hey-" Was all Pepper got out before little 1-year-old Nathaniel pushes past his mum's legs. Waddling into the office with an

"Arny Pep" as he heads for her

"Hi, there little monster! What are you doing here I wasn't expecting you for another hour or so?" Pepper scooped him up as he got close. Directing the question to Laura, who had come into the office followed by Lila and Cooper

"Well, Lila had us all up early because she forgot to put Fluffy Butt alway last night. Then she couldn't find him this morning. So after we found him we did all our chores early. So we got done early. I thought we would come in early see if you were good to go or hang out in the kid's play floor if you weren't?" Laura said as Nathaniel gave Pepper her cuddle. Both of the older kids settling into the couch with their phones

"Yeah I can go early," Pepper said, shutting her laptop as she stood, still holding Nathaniel close.

"Okay, you two" Laura said to the older two gesturing to the door as Pepper grabbed her coat.

As the five made their way down to the lunch floor to gather their lunches, the two women chatted about everything and anything. Pepper picked up her ordered meal, Laura got her and Nathaniel some pasta. While Lila and Cooper off together to browse the restaurants' selections.

"So what did you want to talk about, you said it was important?" Pepper asked as they found a table near the small kids play area

"Clint called yesterday, and it was like this moment of realization. I am so dependant on him. The kids are so dependant on him, that if we didn't have you and Tony to look out for us when you did we would not have gotten out. And I can't, I can't raise them thinking that any of this is okay. Not what he did, not the way I've been relying on you guys. I've got to get a job," Laura spoke hesitantly. Pausing between each sentence, as though admitting any of this was admitting defeat

"Wanting to be self-reliant isn't a bad thing," Pepper gently pushed for more. She could understand the need to separate from those you thought where family

"I just, I love him you know? and I always will. We carved a life out together, making space for each other in our own lives, but even with all that. I'm not sure that he is what is best for the kids. You get it right?" Laura couldn't meet Peppers' eyes as she spoke. Not until the end question not wanting to admit she was wrong about such a huge section of her life. But also needing the reassurance that what she was doing now was right

"Well, I have been looking for a PA. If you took the job it would help me, I wouldn't be wasting so much time on interviews. You know how much I hate interviews" Pepper offered, not because Laura was her friend. But because Pepper has seen how crazy efficient Laura can be. Pepper knows Laura can handle the high pressure, fast-paced nature of the job. And putting in someone who Pepper knows can handle it, and do well at it first go will save her time.

"No Pep, I couldn't. I don't want to make you feel as if you've got to do this cause I'm your friend!" Laura reached across the table and put her hand on Peppers

"No, I'm not putting you in because you're my friend. You'll still have to go through the training and the trial period that everyone else does. The hours may sometimes be weird so it won't be glamorous or anything. But you'll get all the normal benefits like meal options, travel, and health insurance. The normal options of daycare fees coming out of your pay, and the housing options. We would put you into the block of SI apartments in Queens. But that may not work for you with the horses and Alpaca" Pepper explains Laura's concerns away. Making sure she knows she would be like any other employee if she took the job

"That's amazing thank you so much Pep! If you're sure, I'll take the job. But it's only about 40 minutes by car to get here, so we'll stay where we are. If it's still okay for us to live there?" Laura was both incredibly excited to have the job. Now that she knew Pepper was not only offering it to her because of their friendship. But also hesitant to push too far on the kindness they where being shown

"Of course, after lunch why don't we go talk to legal and get you a contract all written up?" Pepper offered with a smile as Lila and Cooper came back holding their trays of lunch

* * *

**1st July 2016, 3 pm**

**The Parker Apartment, Queens, New York City:**

"Hey May" Lilith heard Peter call out from where she was sitting on the couch with May as he walked inside

"Hey, last day of school!" May cheered with a small smile on her face

"We've got a guest" May adds as Peter walks around the sidewall into the kitchen without looking at the living area

"Who?" Peter asks finally looking at her "Um, What? What are you doing? Hey?" Peter trips over himself pointing at her as he walks towards them

"Is it common for your family to turn up like this?" He chokes out before trying to backtrack as he realizes how rude that could have sounded "Wait, no um I mean"

But Lilith laughs it off "It's okay Peter, come sit with us for a moment?" she gestures to the chair next to the lounge she and May are on

"Yeah, uh yeah okay?" Peter drops his bag behind the couch and moves into the chair she had gestured at

"I was telling your aunt about what's happening with your internship" Lilith starts with a small smile once Peter has sat down

"Oh! Um, we weren't. Weren't sure after that press conference?" Peter hesitates, looking concerned down at his hands

"Sorry about the wait, but well. You understand?" Lilith eases with a non-sincere apology but both May and Peter nod anyway accepting it

"Well, I'll be honest. Everything about Siberia is an ongoing ICC investigation. So anything not already said is not going to be said. And Dad is, Dad's not going to be available for a while." Lilith pauses, breathing deep for a moment to center herself before she continues

"But what this means for you. In the standard situation, an employee on any type of leave would put all their projects on hold. Or if they're S.I assigned projects, transferring them to someone else. And temporarily transferring interns to someone else." Lilith pauses again, making sure Peter is following. Lilith had already explained all this to his Aunt May before he got home. To make sure she was still okay with him being offered this position. When Peter nodded at her to say he understood Lilith kept talking

"But you're a special case. All the paperwork wasn't filled out for you yet so you're not 100% in the system." Peter drops his head as Lilith talks, likely expecting a 'sorry but no' to be the next thing out of her mouth. May sees this too as she cuts in

"What does that mean for Pete?"

"Normal circumstances are that the Internship would be put on hold. Or the paperwork system starts again with a new 'guardian' name on it. We've got some wiggle room considering it's a Stark you're interning for and it's our company. So I want to finish your paperwork but under the name Stark. Meaning you could intern for any of us, and switch between all of us if you wanted." Lilith explains patiently. Watching as Peter's head snaps back up. His enthusiasm showing on his face more and more with every word Lilith says

"Yes! Yes! oh my gosh yes!" Peter cheers, his head nodding a thousand times a minute but staying in his chair. Lilith moves into selling the opportunity to Peter and May. Not having gone over this part with May before.

"Now is a good time to enter an internship with us. Which is part of why I don't want to send you through the whole waiting process again. The medical and health branch has 10 ongoing trials about to enter human testing. And if they work will hopefully change the world. We've got partnerships with some smaller companies that are doing amazing things. All of which that test out of our facilities. Peggy has a huge project going on with mechanics. Which I know you're good at. Our R and D have a huge holographic project ongoing" Lilith pauses here, taking a few breaths

"Holographics?" Peter mutters under his breath with a smile

"You know the holographic used in the barf demonstration?" Lilith prompts, waiting for Peters nodding reply

"Getting that into phones," she adds before going back to her usual spiel for the end of it

"So there's a lot of cool and exciting things going on in SI if you come in now"

"Wow, this all sounds so AMAZING" Peter enthuses, May laughs a little at how giddy he is

"If you're happy with all of this, we can work out the contract while I'm here. But nothing becomes binding and official until you've had a trial day" Lilith offers to May. It may be Peters job but as his legal guardian it's May who has to make the final decision

"Okay, that sounds fair" May looks to Peter who is nodding enthusiastically with two thumbs up. Lilith nods and pulls out her Starkpad bringing up the basic contract outline in an editor document

"Okay. We're going to work this out as if you're my intern. But if you decide to work on another project that's fine too" Lilith starts. Looking between the two to get two nods back

"Okay, we have a limit on days depending on age and schooling level. For Peter, that's a maximum of three days of structured work. As of the 4th, I am doing practical days Wednesday, Thursday. Office work Friday and Saturday. So if you don't want to do boring paperwork to make your three days you can either work with Peggy. Or the R and D team. Your choice. Monday, Tuesdays I'm with the UN so at the moment you'll have those off." At this point, Lilith paused and looked up

"Weekends are off, but you do have the option of signing in for independent lab time if you choose to. We only recommend that you sign in around project times for school. Because the elder college kids can get a bit, sleep-deprived. When trying to make projects for their majors" Lilith looked him in the eye with a small smile. Trying to make sure that he knew he was welcome to the labs. But also that they where unsupervised labs so a little dangerous

"If those days have got to change for either of us we can talk later down the line. Okay, anything to add, change whatever to the days before we move on?" Lilith asked taking a deep breath having finished that section

"No" Peter spoke

"That sounds fair" May added with a small smile

The three spent the next several hours going over every detail of the contract from uniforms, "We have a strict uniform policy when in the labs but to account for that there is a uniform allowance built-in.".

To travel expenses. "We try and encourage public transport use. So in the portal that you will be given access to on Tuesday. There is a section to upload your ticket costs. A photo will do as proof and we then add the total amount into that week's pay".

To pay. "We have a policy about the minimum wage being a livable wage. So for you, it starts at $10 an hour at this age and with every year you age while in the internship that goes up by $2 an hour".

To meal plans. "We have the option of meal plans available. They encourage a balanced diet so if you do opt-in it will make you choose a balanced option. As in you can't have 8 servings of jello as a meal. A month in advance a menu will come out on the portal and you can choose what you want. A week before another option will come up in the portal asking you to choose a time you want the food ready for pick up. The price will depend on what you select because the cost to make them is different. Most of the time it's insignificant because we do grow the food that we use."

To missions "I tend to travel in my line of work, you will have the option of coming with me, all expenses paid. Apart from any shopping, you wish to do. But it will always need verbal and written permission from your Aunt. We've got mini contracts that say you know he is leaving the state with me, that it's for work. I'll send you a copy when I get home."

To college funds. "At SI we like to encourage the pursuit of higher education. So we do have a college entry program available if you choose later on to stick with us. In essence, we pay for your college. You intern with us while in college and then you work for us for a minimum of five years after that. It's a win-win. You get free school and a guaranteed paying job, and we get expertly trained new minds to take on projects. Any department, any college you want, anywhere in the world. But that's going to be a later down the line thing. It's not a first-come-first-served situation. We do give priority to interns we have had from Highschool. But if you choose to apply we will look at how well you work in our company"

By the end of discussing everything in Peter's contract, and all three signing it the sky outside the windows had long since gone dark. And all three of their stomachs were starting to rumble. With a clap, Lilith locked the Starkpad and announced

"Well, we've covered everything. Both of you will get an emailed copy of the contract by Monday ready for when you go in on Tuesday." Lilith directs that mostly at May before continuing with the next section directed at Peter

"On Tuesday you're going to go in the lady at the front desk will let one of the Intern reps know you're there. You and May will get a tour from our intern rep. She'll talk you through everything answer any and all questions either of you have. Get you your security clearances and your badge. And give you your welcome package. At 1 you'll choose the scrubs and uniforms over a provided lunch. There will be sizes for you to try on but we'll have to send away for your actual ones. That's when you'll say bye to May for the rest of the day. Then for the afternoon, you'll be in with R&D, meeting the team and getting an idea of a normal day to work until 4.30. Like I said when we were talking about your idea of normal workday hours. Most of our guys stay late but 4.30 is our weekend and holiday intern closing time. And again that's mostly not negotiable."

"This is amazing, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity!" Peter still as enthusiastic as when they first started discussing everything. Lilith laughed a little

"Peter, I've seen your project and paper you applied with. You have an incredible amount of potential. All we're doing is giving you a platform to reach it on" Lilith assured him, not that it was too hard to do. Lilith had seen several of his school projects and papers through the years spent with Ana in his class and more of a friend than Ana generally had. and every single one of the projects and papers was well thought out and developed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me, for I have been gone long. But uh Two chapters on 1 night to make up for it?

**1st July 2016:**

**7 pm Stark Tower, NYC, New York**

"So what's the plan you and the PR teams came up with?" Pepper directs at Ana, who had arrived back from Malibu earlier in the day

"We're calling it 'The After'" Ana started. She swallows her mouthful of dinner before continuing

"A series of interviews, of everyone and anyone involved in the superhero battles. As well as some experts in economics, business, humanities, philosophy, criminal justice. Then showing footage of the fights in the places they happened. Cell phone footage, news footage. We're going to talk about why people were hurt. The mission reports of it. The debriefs afterward. What steps were taken by the heroes to ensure that never necessary again. It's going to include some of Ironmans' and War Machines fights as well. So we're not obvious as an 'against them thing'" Ana explained as everyone sat listening

"They all coming out as one?" Lilith asked as Ana took another mouthful of food. She had arrived home from the Parkers as Larua was serving dinner,

"Yeah, early September. We're running it as a charity thing. $2 USD entry fee or the equivalent of, in every SI facility in every country. It will also go live on a website that will charge the same fee to watch. The website will also have another page of the full-length sources that we'll use," Ana spoke between mouthfuls of food

It was quite for a moment, everyone eating as they thought it over

"I want you to include SHIELD missions in it" Laura muttered, causing everyone to look up at her

"Laura?" Peggy prompted from where she had been sitting by Nathaniel, helping him with his dinner

"The Avengers Initiative was first proposed as the Protectors. It was first brought up in the early 2000s'. When an Airforce pilot, who had been kidnapped by aliens returned to earth for something. There is no way Fury left his pet project to sit and collect dust for ten years. He recruited Clint and Natasha for the Avengers. Not for SHIELD. There's something there and it's time it got a spotlight shone on it." Laura reasoned, looking between each of the adults so they knew how serious she was being

"Okay, we'll look into it" Ana promised, as everyone went back to eating dinner

"Oh! I had almost forgotten!" Lilith exclaimed, holding up her hand with one finger raised as she finished her mouthful

"The UNAP is enquiring about our intentions with the Avengers Facility. They want to buy it, or for us to change the name." Lilith explained

"Makes sense. SI signed over rights to the Avengers name to them" Peggy mused with a nod

"I'm all for selling it," Lilith said with a shrug "Not mine though" she expanded

"Give whoever is doing the negotiating my number and we'll sell it to them. But we're going to clear it out of personal and lab effects first" Pepper agreed after a moment of thought

"I want to be in charge of where the stuff goes" Ana pipes up. Everyone turned to look at her

"Well, you're all doing things. At the moment I have to wait until the interview schedule gets worked out" She over-explained. Cementing the idea that she was up to something

"You know what, sure. Whatever" Pepper agrees. Thinking that if Ana had a harmless way to work out her frustrations then it would be better than it being all pent up and then exploding later on

* * *

**2nd July 2016, 1 pm Stark Tower, New York City:**

they're all sitting in Rhodey and Tonys hospital room, in silence. Rhodey had had his sedation stopped early in the morning. He had been in and out for most of the day before coming to around lunchtime. At that point, Lilith had gone over the state he was in medically. Then also the State Tony was in, given his broken appearance it was not reassuring to Rhodey. Followed by everyone pitching in a little to tell him about the world since his fall.

"I may have a possible cure" Friday speaks up

"What?" Lilith mutters under her breath. Confused about what Friday could be referring to as being curable.

An image is projected onto the long wall by the door, the awake occupants of the room turning to watch it. It's a shaky video from a phone of the inside of the South Korean CIA black site. Black Panther kneeling on the ground next to two other ladies. All three gathered around Agent Ross.

"I don't think he'll make it here, it hit his spine" The black woman across from T'Challa speaks in a heavy Wakandan accent

"Give me a Kimoyo bead" The king replies holding out his hand and the woman hands over a big black bead off her bracelet. the king presses it into the bullet wound on Ross with a

"This will stabilize him for now. Give him to us, we can save him"

as the image fades out Peggy demands "What's a Kimoyo bead? and how did it do that?"

"not a clue" Lilith answers while shaking her head

"The king and all his guards were wearing them when Boss came in contact. My scans seem to have picked up a full vibranium composition" Friday speaks up

"Wait, vibranium, I thought they had none left?" Harley looks between the others, sure that the last he heard was that the entire lot was stollen

"What's the purple stuff it puts in him?" Happy frowns, a little grossed out by how unhygienic that was. Who knows where those beads have been and they put it in an open wound like that.

"Oh my god!"

"What?" Pepper tries to lead Peggy into sharing her revelation

"In one of Howard's journals that were left to dad. From the war, Howard had proposed that the Vibranium could be used for way more than a Frisbee. He managed to keep a few shavings from one time when they were doing repairs, and tested it. He told Rogers that its vibration absorbent, then watched Rogers bounce it off of walls. He realized that couldn't be right. On further testing, he discovered the vibranium wasn't absorbing the vibrations. It was scattering them, like its sending a signal out, its a conductor. Not only for energy vibrations but everything he could test. It would transmit the signals including bodily ones!" Peggy rushes out. Her brain going almost to fast in trying to solve this new idea shes thought up that her mouth isn't keeping up

"What are you saying?" Lilith hedges, an understanding already coming to her as Peggy answers

"Extremis isn't stable. Only because it needs an energy source and something to bond the atom particles together. But Vibranium is a bond and an energy source on its own and is human-compatible,"

"And it has a natural liquid state! Meaning it could be viable to use as a serum in healing. Being super flexible in solidifying it could be used as a nervous system replacement. That's what it did in Vision!" Lilith interrupts, her excitement growing the more she speaks

"Exactly! Do you realize what this means?" Peggy enthuses

"If we get this right, this could change healthcare as we know it!" Lilith agrees

"And! if we made it weaker a series of medication-"

"Could be used to cure everything from the common cold to cancer, with the right dosage!" Liliths brain to mouth filter is lost as she and Peggy bounce excitedly off one another

"Slow it down. What are you talking about?" Pepper demands. As great as all this sounds Pepper has seen what extremis can do to a person. Unleashing that on the general public is not a good idea.

"Well, the vibranium would make the extremis stable, so it doesn't overload" Peggy starts

"And in the right! All though small, dosage, or series of doses. The extremis would give the immune system a short burst of super-enhanced activity. Allowing the immune system to fight off the disease itself. Would make it almost like a cold to the body. Annoying and sometimes lays you up if bad but unharmful if managed and overcome" Lilith added

"And if we get it exactly right we could do the whole regrowing limbs thing that the unstable extremis does! Without sending people supernova" Peggy continues

"And the vibranium would allow us to regrow nerves! We could give people the function of their limbs back! We could fix paraplegia if we get this right!" Lilith finishes their joint explanation

"That's great, really. But the cost of that would be way too high for the average citizen to afford though, even with the best insurance. The going price of Vibranium is US$6,000 an ounce. That's $6000 for every 30mL" Pepper argues, because yes what the two girls are proposing is amazing. But that won't do anyone any good if they cannot afford it.

"But if we could synthesize Vibranium that would bring its cost down! And if we are only synthesizing for our use we won't even need external permission!" Lilith brushes off, sure that Peggy could do it

"Synthesising materials isn't hard. Dad and I have been doing it for arc elements for years" Peggy agrees with Lilith

* * *

**Sunday 3rd July 2016, 6 am**

**New York**

They, the driver, M.J who had stayed the night at the tower, and Ana-Marie, picked up Peter and Ned from Peter's house at 6 am. The goal was to get to the compound by 9 am. With stopping for coffee at George Washington Bridge park Starbucks. And snacks at Orangeburg Dunkin Donuts. The first part of the drive had been in near silence. None of them happy to be up and functioning that early in the morning. As they started to draw closer to the compound the excitement started eating at Ned, Peter, and M.J. The boys drawing closer to the window as if that would help them catch a glimpse of it sooner.

"So before we get there I'll explain what we're doing," Ana starts. Waiting to have the other threes attention before she continued on

"The entire compound has to get cleaned out, so today we're labeling where everything is going to go. Packing most of it into boxes as we do"

"Wait, like even clothes and foods?" Ned interrupted

"Well yeah. I mean the snack food we can eat as we go. But all the frozen and long-life stuff will go into freezer boxes. It'll get split between the towers and the food bank" Ana nodded

"We've got a sticker code to go by. Green is dad's stuff which will be all his lab stuff and technology, so we won't have much of that. Blue is anything going to the tower. Grey is the museum donation stuff. Yellow is SI foundation donations. And Pink is going to be box up and sent back to those assholes" Ana's smile turned more vicious than kind on the last color

"How will we know though?" Peter asked

"Well, dad bought most of this stuff, so it's pretty much all going to be either blue or yellow. Furniture like chairs and tables and stools are going to go blue. Lilith wants to put them in the med tower or something. But things like blankets, throw pillows, those will be yellow. Oh, and all the cooking utensils are blue." Ana explained, the other three nodding along as she spoke

When they finally arrived they were dropped by the front doors. All three of them looking in at the building as the car drove off

"Right, um. We'll start in the common rooms. It's an open floor plan so it's like one room but BIG! Pretty much all the stuff gets blue stickers. When we get in there I'll do the stuff that doesn't first so smack a sticker on everything else. We've got the whole compound. Well except for the Lab and garage. They're green so we're getting special movers to come up to do those. And well the bedrooms are gonna be the hardest. So we'll do those last," Ana talked through a game plan. Putting herself and the others more at ease with it broken down into sections

They didn't get far into the building. Walking out of the open foyer and into the residential area. The kitchen on one corner, the meeting room raised in another and the dining room off to the side of the kitchen. The lounge taking up most of the space, when they came to a complete stop

"um, wow" Peter was the first to speak, voice full of shock. Ned let out a squeak in agreement as the four stared down at the hole in the floor.

"Yeah, so I didn't realize it would be so bad. But this. Is where the Scarlet Bitch put Vision through the floor," Ana tried keeping her voice as steady as she could. But still, it trembled, her eyes tearing up in anger

"Holy shit, there's like a million layers" Ned's voice was little above a whisper as he spoke

"It's, um, it's three floors and then 100 odd feet of sedimentary rock," Ana explained as quietly

"that's like crazy" MJ spoke the loudest but even her voice subdued

"Yeah, the worst part is, he was only trying to protect her. There were still people outside the gates. Chanting burn the witch, with literal pitchforks and fires! And this is what she did!" Ana

"I knew she was insane, I didn't realize it was THIS insane" Peter mutters stressing the 'this'

"Yeah... so um, be careful while you move. I'm not actually sure how stable the floor is around that hole" Ana brushes it off. She moves further into the lounge room section. Pulling the blankets and pillows into boxes and sticking yellow stickers on them. out of the corner of her eye, she sees the other three nod and starts sticking blue stickers on things

It takes them most of the day. The moving team arriving as they were ready to hit the bedrooms. Ana tells them the sticker code, writes it down for them when they ask her too. As well as which rooms they've done, before repeating to be careful of the hole in the floor. She then turns to join the others at the bedroom wing. Before she walks off though she sees one of the young new guys on the team of removalists takes a photo of the hole.

"Don't put that photo up anywhere" Ana directs at him, voice flat

"What?" He asks hesitantly

"That hole was made when the Scarlet bitch threw. Threw Visions' body threw it, so not only is it traumatizing for him, its an ongoing legal case. Don't upload it. Or share it anywhere" Ana spoke pointing at the hole in the ground. She waited until she got a nod in return before walking off to the bedrooms to catch up with the other three

"So. Vision's entire room will get blue stickers. Because that all going back to him," Ana pointed to the door that held visions room.

"Uncle Rhodey's will also get all blue stickers. My sisters and I never did anything with our rooms up here. So they're empty, Pepper refused to move so Hers and Dad's room is empty too." She continued pointing to the five rooms in turn as she spoke about them

"Otherwise, dad bought like, all their stuff, so it's very little that actually belongs to them. Anything theirs, like Rogers drawings, Natasha's Russian children's books. We pack into boxes and they get pink stickers. So if you see something you want, let me know. If its something dad bought you can have it" Ana finished explaining, looking at the three as she did so

"Serious?" Ned asked, disbelief in his voice

"Well, yeah? I figure the sort of stuff no one is going to want like can go in a pink sticker box. Things like blankets or bed sheets in the cupboards can go in a yellow sticker box. And Lilith has asked that all the bigger furniture like beds and desks and stuff get blue stickers. But like if there's a shirt or jacket or I don't know a chair you want you can have it. The electronics too. They always got the newest SI products so they were either gonna get salvaged for parts. Or we can scrub them and you can have them." Ana explains as she heads towards Maximoffs room first

"There's like a million dollars worth of tech here!" Peter exclaims when he sees the room. Not sure if Ana is joking or not, but also not willing to turn it down if its a serious offer

"Yeah. They all had a phone, laptop, tablet, headphones, music players, TVs, and desktops. So it's like $40 odd thousand to each of them. Maximoff had a top of the line Stark gaming system and they're like $7,000. Not to mention the holo tech she had added in," Ana points to each thing as she says its name. Completely missing Peters's question. Thinking Peter was shocked by the fact that the ungrateful brats all had been given so much. Not that she was offering the three of them second-hand tech.

"If I say I want one of everything is that okay, cause that's a lot?" M.J hesitantly pushes as Ana picks up a box and moves further into the room more use to the generosity of the stark family than the boys. But still having been raised in a working-class family that the idea of so much free stuff is blowing her mind

"Yeah, it's cool, it was otherwise going to be scrap. Could probs take that with us today if you guys wanted? I know how to do the reset so their data isn't on it anymore. So you can take it home this afternoon"

"Holy shit. What do we do with the rest of the clothes?" M.J gets out slowly. Too shocked to do anything but go with it she too moves to start boxing things but from the dresser

"Well. Anything we don't want I thought we'd either put into a yellow sticker box. Those are going to the charities SI runs. Or into a pink sticker box. Which don't tell anyone but I'm going to pack it in a shipping container and dump it on their doorstep when we find them." Ana explains, looking around to make sure no one could overhear it

"You're gonna dump it on them?" Ned asks in a squeaky voice from where he was by the desk loading all the non-technology items into a yellow box. Or a garbage bag if it was rubbish.

"Well yeah, politically aggressive you know. It's a clear I know where you are so don't fuck with me threat. But if brought up anywhere important can be passed off. As 'I wanted to give them back their stuff. One last act of kindness to the people we thought where our family until they screwed up over'." Ana brushed off while finishing to load all the bed linin into a yellow box before turning to grab another box

"My sisters and I all still get away with that sort of stuff cause people still see us as little girls, you know? Incapable of doing harm deliberately" She explains with a roll of her eyes but a little laugh too

"Oh my god, that's brilliant" M.J laughs a little

"Thanks. Oh and anything WW2 related in Rogers room is going into a grey sticker box. To go to the museum," Ana says as she starts moving clothes from the wardrobe into a yellow box

"You'd do that?" Peter, who had been stripping and folding all the bedding before putting it into a yellow box as well asks

"Anything he has left from the war came from my grandfather. Given to him because Rogers claimed to miss them so much. He doesn't deserve any Stark kindness after what he hid about my family. What he did to my family" Ana spat, being a bit more forceful with the clothes than was necessary

"Yeah, okay. I hadn't thought about that. I'd probs do so much worse. If it was May" Peter agreed with her as he sealed the bedding box and moved it to the other pile of yellows in the hall

"Hey, can I have the chair and nob seat things?" M.J asks pointing at the armchair and two pouffes in the room

"Yeah. Put a blue sticker on them," Ana agrees. Spotting a sticky note pad on the desk she grabs that too

"Write your name and what it is you're having sent to the tower. We can sort it when it gets there" Ana adds as they go about cleaning out the rest of the rooms


	11. Chapter 11

**8 am Tuesday 5th July 2016**

**United Nations Building, NYC:**

Though the fourth of July party did not end until late the night before, the stark family had been up early on the morning of the 5th. Ana had left on a plane at 5.30 that morning. Along with the film crew, hair and makeup teams, and security team. Headed to Romania, where they would start gathering the stories for the after.

Once the plane had left the other 5 had headed back up to the kitchen to have breakfast together. Before they went their separate ways for the day. Pepper, Peggy, and Happy heading down several floors to the office levels. Lilith heading to the UN for an accords council meeting. And Rhodey going to Tony's office to make his own official calls.

Lilith spends her time before the meeting starts putting out the first feelers for the serum. Promoting it, its possibilities to the other accord panel members. As she knew they would several of the doctors ask when the serum will be available for human trials. Each time Lilith laughs and gives a casual

"After animals trials of course"

Just enough to tease, while giving enough details to be clear it was worth watching.

The meeting is soon called to order, it's a simple meeting this time. Discussing with more preliminary signees about the changes they would like made to the accords document. Then adding them to the mailing list for when version two goes public. It is a tedious process, one that has only started. One that will drag on for who knows how long. But it is also one that will allow for reaching the best outcome, where they all agree on the final product

* * *

**8 am Tuesday 5th July 2016**

**Stark Industries Medical Tower, NYC:**

Peter honestly could not say if he had slept at all last night. But who could expect him to when today was his introduction day to Stark Industries Medical! It felt like the moment dawn was breaking over the Queens skyline Peter was up and getting ready.

"Aunt May, too casual? To business?" Peter bounced out of his room. Aunt May didn't even have a chance to do more than open her mouth before Peter spun on his toes and went back into his room. Muttering "Nope" while pulling his shirt off to get changed again.

"Pete, stop stressing" Aunt May called out as she crossed the kitchen to his room, Leaning on his door frame she added

"Why don't you wear one of your button-up shirts, with a sweater over the top and a pair of nice jeans. That way if it's more formal you take the sweater off, but you'll still be casual?" May smiled softly at Peter. Peter who was standing in front of his wardrobe, flicking all his hangers back and forth trying to decide.

"Yeah, yeah okay," Peter muttered nodding his head as he pulled out one of his checkered shirts. May let out a little laugh as she walked off to continue breakfast

"Be fast sweetie, we've got to go soon if we want to be there by 9!" She called, hearing Peter let out a squeak she knew he would deny if asked and then a thump followed after

"I'm fine!" He called out making her laugh again

May had barely finished wrapping his toast sandwich as Peter came out of his room. His new second hand Stark phone in one hand and wallet and keys in another

"Let go Aunt May!" it was definitely not a whine and pout. Or at least, Peter would never admit it was. But all Aunt May did was shake her head and grabbed her handbag. She had checked everything earlier that morning when her own breakfast sandwich went in.

"This is yours" May held out the sandwich as she closed the locked door behind her with the other.

The train ride was boring and seemed to take longer than usual. Though from Aunt May's smile Peter thought maybe that was just him. But Who cares! His internship starts today!

As they came through the door of the tower and approached the welcome desk both May and Peter were blown away. They could tell that it was high-class sophistication. It had that clean air smell to it that isn't possible in the city. But everything seemed so advanced. It was a very fancy entry. One that made May and Peter feel out of place.

"Hi! Peter right? and his Aunt May?" The lady at the desk asked as they came to the front

"Yes? That's us" May was a little taken back by how she could remember that. This lady had to great so many people in a day

"Oh, it's a little off-putting isn't it." The reception lady spoke with a kind smile

"We get a photo list of all the interns starting with us at the start of the day. Doctor Tony Stark insists it makes us look super high tech and cool!" She explains, rolling her eyes as she does but the smile never slips from her face

"It is kinda cool," Peter speaks softly, still bouncing, but trying really hard to look casual.

"So you'll be getting the tour from Intern Rep Julia, she's on her way down already. I've just got to get you to put these badges on. Peter yours is blank at the moment. But only because the first thing you will do with Julia is get that badge customized to you. May you have one of our guest ones for today," The nice lady slid two badges over the counter. A Gold one to Peter and a white one to may.

"Do the colors mean anything?" Peter asked inspecting his badge

"They once did but not anymore. Clearance was once based on color. If security caught you out of your clearance area without permission it was bad. But we have the automatic system now that scans the badges and if you don't have clearance the doors won't open. Miss Potts keeps the badges in bright colors because she believes it makes them harder to lose" A females voice speaks from behind them. May and Peter turn around to see a short woman with a spiky Pixie cut hairdo

"Hi Peter, May, I'm Julia. Let's get you started. Thanks, Beth" The lady speaks to each of them before heading off talking at 100 miles a minute

"So today we start in security. Security takes up the middle section of this floor, with hospital intake being on the other side of it. Then I'll show you and your Aunt through the main R&D floors. Then the medical research floors. and Finally the most common places you'll need to know like the lunchroom." Julia scans her badge on a gateway ushering both Parkers through before following. She then continues the path down a maze of hallways

"Then at 1, I'll leave you and May to the welcome lunch. You're very special today our other intern meant to start today had to postpone. So you'll have the lunch to yourselves. At the lunch, you'll try on all the different styles of uniforms. Make sure you note down your sizes of each one and the colors you want. We normally have them in the stock room for you to take home at the end of today, but that's never certain." Julia let out a little laugh at that, and Peter smiled at her, unsure if it was a joke or not. Julia kept speaking though as they stood outside of the closed-door marked 'Security B'

"At the end of lunch is where you'll say goodbye to May. I'll introduce you to our Biological Research and Development. Where you'll get to spend the entire afternoon until 4.30 doing all that biological stuff. And then at 4.30 I come and find you and make sure you've got everything and that you can find your way out!"

Peter honestly is not sure if Julia breathed the entire time she was speaking. And he is even less sure if he got everything she said, so he nodded and said

"Sounds great" Trying to smile like he knew what was happening right now

"Don't worry Peter, I know it's a lot to take in. If at any point you need me to pause just let me know. That's why we do these days. So you get comfortable here before we start!" Julia patted his shoulder as she reassured him but kept going anyway

"So this is where we'll get your badge printed on. Super simple we'll take a photo of you and stick your badge into the printer and that's it." Julia explained as she walked them through the door into a little office. A stool against a white wall with a camera in front of it, a computer desk with a laptop and printer against the other, and three small chairs next to it.

"So jump up on the stool for me Peter. Please," Peter followed Julia's instructions. She snapped a quick photo and put his badge into the printer.

"So while we wait for that to work its magic I actually have your welcome pack here!" Julia cheered handing Peter a bright red backpack with STARK industries in bold white across the front.

"Okay, so this is the standard intern bag. You've got your mug, drink bottle, and tumbler in there. Doctor Lilith prefers that we use the reusable ones instead of disposable. So everywhere in the building will fill these. But not strict as to be like 'stark products or nothing!'" Julia starts pulling the bits and pieces out of Peters pack, laughing a little at the end.

"Then you've got four different empty books. Miss Potts insists on those being in every pack because no idea is good unless it's written down!" Julia pulls out the three bound books and a spiral notebook before adding

"Also if you ever run out, come see one of us on floor three and we'll get you as many as you can hold"

"Next we've got a hat, beenie, and watch. No one is sure who put those in. But they got Doctor Tony's signature approval! So they stay" Julia pulls them out handing the watch over while shrugging

"Then we've got the fun stuff. The tech. You have a red laptop sleeve and a white tablet sleeve. There is also a USB here, it needs a password to log in. It's the same one you'll get from tech today to log into your portal. No one has ever been able to fill one of these USB's and not from lack of trying." Julia hands that one to Peter so it can be put back in on top he's guessing.

"Then we've got a power bank, earphones, and what kind of phone do you have?" Julia asks getting up and heading to the back wall

Peter holds up his new second hand Stark phone for her to see, a little out of sorts with how much is being given to him. Nothing is even official yet. If this is a sell to stay it is definitely a successful one!

"Nice! We'll this is a phone case. You don't have to use it of course. But we're supposed to give it to you so if your phone gets knocked off a table at work you can't be all like Blah! at us" Julia laughs sitting back down as she hands the case over

"Now the rest of your kit is clothing which you will get later in a SI tote bag. But that should be everything in your bag. And oh look! Your badge is done!" Julia cheers pulling his badge out. She slips it into a Stark Industries lanyard before handing it back

"Now that does need to be displayed at all times while in the building. But on the Stark's floors, they're a bit laxer about it. Because of the AI up there," Julia explains as Peter slips it around his head

"Wow, there is. So much" Peter breaths, earning a laugh from both Aunt May and Julia

"Yeah, it can be overwhelming at first" Julia agrees, clapping as she stands. "So let's keep going! Oh and I almost forgot! You'll get a few different Lab coats today, most of them plain or with SIM on them. Doctor Lilith likes to give the Medical teams one with their names on it. That one is for patient-related stuff. She likes that we're in some sort of uniform. But the others can get as roughed up and horrifying as you like, cause its only the workers who will see it!"

* * *

**4 pm Tuesday 5th July 2016:**

After a long day in discussions, the meeting is finally over. Lilith waits long enough to make polite conversation with those around her before making a belong for Queen Ramonda of Wakanda

"Queen Ramonda, a moment of your time please?" She is polite, standing far enough back to be on the edge of the queens' two-guard security team.

"Doctor Lilith Stark" The Queen greats with a small nod of her head

"In this case is near all the vibranium my Grandfather had. I believe he bought it off someone who stole it from your family," Lilith did not once look away from the queens face. Holding the case out for the queen to take at the end of her sentence

"Nearly?" The queen brows furrow a touch but otherwise, she makes no obvious motion in her confusion. One of the Queen's guards take the case as the queen spoke to Lilith,

"Yes," Lilith is blunt in her answer, only continuing because the Queen frowns

"I kept about 8 grams worth for a medicinal trial. Grandfather had also kept some to run his own tests on". It's not apologetic, and there is no offer to return the rest of it either.

"This is close to a million dollars worth here. Why would you give it back?" The queen gestures to the case, but she makes no other movement to check and see if it is that amount in the case

"This was once made to be a tool for protection. My grandfather made a shield and lent it to a soldier he believed would fight for the people. That soldier used it to try and murder my father. The shield, when we got it. After it was abandoned like trash with my dying father had blood on it. My fathers in the literal sense. More in the figurative sense with all those it was used to kill in those few days. The sight of it brings the closest thing I've ever had to a mother to tears. My youngest sister vomited the only time she saw it. The elder of my two sisters cries every time it is even in her peripheral. Safe to say, my sisters and I want no part of it. And we will not stand it to be in our home any longer"

"Thank you for returning it then Doctor Stark" Queen Ramonda bows her head once more as she speaks. Lilith goes to turn away. To leave it at that. But she had worked with the queen and the king for months. Worked beside them on the accords panel before the events of the so-called civil war. With a sigh, Lilith turns to face the queen head on again and speaks once more

"Your highness, it is respect to your husband that brings me to tell you. You should also know that my sister and I have found a way to synthesize something like it. Vibranium. I understand why your country would have kept this buried. But we are not you. We're not asking for permission. And we stopped thinking we would ask for forgiveness at the time we learned your son. The new king of your country could have helped our father. But didn't. So, know that Vibranium is about to become a lot less valuable."

Lilith then turns and walks out, intent on leaving the building for the day. Behind her, she hears the Queen say "Thank you for your candor" But Lilith does not stop.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that it has been so long since I updated. BUT! I've posted 3 in two days to make up for it.  
> And honestly, I sob every time I read the last paragraph on this chapter

**8 am 6th July 2016,**

**Stark Medical Tower, NYC:**

"Hey Pete!" Lilith called out to the bouncy kid as he came through the security gates into the elevator bay

"Doctor Stark! Oh my gosh! Hi!" Peter cheered as he jogged up to her, smiling so wide Lilith caught a glimpse of his back teeth. Lilith let out a little laugh as she laid one hand on his shoulder

"Breath. Nice sweater" Lilith plucked at his SI sweater, giving it a little tug. Moving into the lift that had arrived as she was speaking.

"Oh my gosh, Doctor Stark! I got so many of them! They said to put a check next to each color I liked. I thought that I would get whatever they had. But then I got like 3 types and there was like a million. Well like 20. But still, that's so many!" Peter spoke at 100 words a second causing Lilith to laugh again

"Make sure you breathe Pete"

"I'm very excited!" Peter was looking up at her with wide eyes

"Well if the sweaters have you excited, you won't believe what we're going to do today" Lilith teased. Peter let out a gasp, following Lilith as she took him into the lab

"It's not as exciting as you'd think. We're starting the trials today on a new serum. So we've gotta weigh each rat first and write their weight on the cage they go into. One rat per cage," Lilith explained, opening the box full of rats that sat on her desk.

"Oh my gosh! What's the serum! Wait! oh is it a secret!" If anything the boy's excitement had only grown when she talked through the day plan

"It's not exactly a secret. We, my sisters and I, have found a way to make the base formula of Extremis work. We've had to change the formula, but the real key is Vibranium. What it could do. Is phenomenal. So we are running the medical trials for it" Lilith explained. Handing the tablet with all the basic info on the serum to Peter.

"Holy shit" Peter muttered

"So after weighing the rats, we're then going to inject the serum into them. At a 624.35mg/1kg standard rate." Lilith looked up to see Peter looking a little unsure

"Do you know how to break down the amount for each rat?" She added

"Um, sort of? I'm not, good with the metric system" Peter shifted, fiddling with his hands as he did so.

"That's okay, we can do a couple together and then I'll check your work"

* * *

**3 pm 6th July 2016,**

**Bucharest Romania:**

Ana-Maries first stop on this tour of interviews was in Romania. Set up in an office was a little sitting area, surrounded by the film crew's equipment. This office was where the interviews would occur. Ana had already seen five people for the day, she sat slumped in her chair waiting for her second last. These had not been nice stories. All them fresh death and suffering, people crying throughout the day.

"Ana, you ready for the next one?" The production manager asked laying a hand on Ana's shoulder. For the life of her, Ana could not remember the woman's name.

"Yeah, yeah let's do this," Ana spoke while sitting herself up so the hair and makeup team could come in. They started fussing around her to make sure everything was set for the next interview.

"Up next is Marshal Popescu, of the Romanian Brigada Antiterorista. It's Romanian for Anti-terrorist Brigade. He's like second or third from the top of their intelligence agency. But also he was the lead officer on the Barnes mission. Which is why they sent him when we asked for today. He's got a service record of about 25 years, and is very proud of that." The production manager chatted away as she fluttered around checking in with the camera, light and sound crews.

"Okay, and he has arrived so everyone ready and smiling. Let do this!" she flounced off to the door to let him in as Ana settled herself. The man brought back was a gentleman about 50 years or so, impeccably dressed in a full dress uniform.

" _Hi, I'm Ana Stark. Thank you for meeting me today. Would you prefer to do this in English or Romanian?_ " Ana questioned as she shook the marshal's hand. Gesturing to his seat as she retook her own

" _Romanian please_ " Marshal Popescu answered as he sat. Ana nodded and waited for him to say he was ready before she started

" _When planning the approach on Barnes, can you tell us about who you brought in?_ "

" _Other than our own Anti-terrorist Brigade. Our first call was the CIA special activities division, the International Division. Then the FBI counter-terrorism division. Due to Barnes's last citizenship being America. We wanted to try and reason with him in a way that would be familiar, he was a military man himself you see. After that, we called in Albania's RENEA. Australian ASIO. Austrian EKO Cobra. Belgium's DSU. Bulgaria's OZBsT. French GIGN. Germany's GSG 9. The United Kingdom's Counter-Terrorism command and Special Air service. There were also members of Canada's joint task force 2. Egypt's unit 777. India's NSG and Thunderbolt, and Italy's NOCS already here that had permission to move with us_ "

" _So, 17 organizations, that's more than you would usually take, right?_ "

" _Yes, and no. Most groups sent a single squad of between 15 and 30 people. Which we split up into five different sectors. So each team, while more than what would be ordinary, weren't large_ "

" _And why so many?_ "

" _For a few reasons, the most prominent being that Barnes was a known enhanced. With a track record of being Hydras fist. And while we know this was not of his own will or decisions, we couldn't be sure which mind state we would encounter him in. So we took the steps necessary to make sure our own people would be safe. Another concern was that because of his years with Hydra, he would no longer speak English. So we tried to have as many languages in that first confrontation team as possible. To_ _minimize_ _the risk of it escalating because we couldn't communicate_ "

" _But it wasn't enough, everything still went wrong. Can you talk us through it?_ "

" _It started when_ _Barnes_ _was spotted_ _at a street market and followed. We did not wish to risk civilian injuries. So as he was entering the building, we were clearing the levels and streets behind him. We have no record for how advanced any strain of the super-soldier serum makes one's senses. So we had been trying to clear at least two floors away until the last moment"_

" _What happened once you had cleared the streets and building?"_

_"Romanian Police had been creating barricades at all the ground level exits out of the city. Things like Random breath tests, trying to remain undercover, to not tip him off we were looking for him. The United kingdom air service was in the sky. A helicopter far enough off to not risk his enhanced hearing but close enough to engage if needed. We had been hoping they would not_ _be needed_ _._ _Most counter-terrorism units around the world share the saying 'hope for the best but prepare for the worst'_ _. That is what we did, prepare for the worst logical outcome. But logic was not on our side."_

_"And when entering the apartment, can you tell us about what it was like inside?"_

_"There were three stun grenades launched into the apartment before we breached. At three different places around the room. We knew as an enhanced he would likely be able to take one or two out. But one man would not be able to remove all three in time, no matter how enhanced. Armed with armor-piercing tranquilizing darts the active men and women went in. We were aiming for a non-confrontation take in. We had video evidence of this crime yes but we would still have to present it in court. The hope at the time was by achieving a more, gentle, take down than normal bullets we would be able to talk to him. That way_ _we might_ _have gotten something on the remaining Hydra."_

_"But Rogers, Wilson and King T'Challa had other plans?"_

_"Yes. We had not known Rogers was even in the country, let alone the apartment. Much like Wilson, and the then prince, now King of Wakanda. Even after the fact we went back and checked all the legal ways to enter the country. But there are no records of those three crossing our borders, not plane, train, or boat."_

_"Let's come back to that. When the stun grenades failed, what happened?"_

" _When the stun grenades failed the first forces moved in. All their orders where take in with as little force as necessary. But to use force to protect themselves if needed. Rogers did not extend us the same care. He engaged our forces with brutal strength, breaking bodies, killing our men with no care what so ever. Barnes, while injuring the men and women was not as brutal as Rogers at first. It was clear Barnes was aiming at running, so the air support and ground men_ _were notified_ _. Barnes was the first to leap out the window, It was three levels down from his own apartment,_ "

" _Before we get to what happened on the street, could I get you to comment on the radio call that came out of the building?_ _The overview we have noted it_ _was made_ _between the time of the apartment breach and when Barnes and Rogers jumped out of the building_ _. But not what the call was about?_ "

" _Yes, Sargent Moller made that call out. You have spoken to his wife_ _I believe_ _? Well, Sargent Moller, was lead for that entry team. One of the three. He was at the door Barnes had used to exit the apartment. He_ _was hit by_ _Barnes with the battering ram, to his abdomen. What came to us was a call that we believed was for medical aid. He only got to the word medical before it cut out so we could not be certain at the time,"_

_"When we spoke to Sargent Moller and his wife he told us he was calling for a medical evacuation for his team?"_

_"Yes, Sargent Moller was one of the first to fall. His entire ribcage had_ _been compromised_ _. He had been stuck seeing many of them going down and not getting back up but being unable to help them. Before he could finish his call out Rogers tore the radio from his hands and crushed it. Sargent Moller was unable to move, to help his fallen partner beside him, to help his team. His partner died next to him laying on that floor because of Rogers and Barnes_ "

" _Sargent Moller was not the only injury in the building though was he?"_

_"No. In the building and on the street there were forty task force members killed. A further five_ _critically_ _injured. That is forty dead between Barnes, Rogers, and Wilson. We have no visual of King T'Challa interacting with the building members. Every member had some sort of injury, ranging from small cuts to broken bones. Concussions and fractures were the most common._ "

" _That's awful. The chase through the bridge, can you walk us through how that went?_ "

" _It is important to note that when clearing the streets we had not cleared the underpasses. We had not believed anyone insane enough to take the three-story drop. Into oncoming traffic and walk away. Because of that, that was where we had been redirecting traffic to,_ "

" _But that exactly what the four did_ "

" _Yes, which was where the arrest turned into a car chase through the middle of civilians. Exactly what we did not want! Most of the officers involved in the chase where standard police. We had them standing by to assist. But when having so many in the task force? It was more for civilian protection than active engagement"_

_"It was a young policeman who reached Barnes and Rogers first right?"_

_"Yes. The first casualty in the bridge came when Rogers tore an officer out of his vehicle. Rogers threw him onto the road in front of oncoming traffic. The officer, Georgescu, was new to the police force, on his first solo outing. Georgescu died upon impact."_

_"May he rest in peace,"_

_"The next casualty was a civilian. Civilian casualties are always the hardest to process. They should never have been at risk,"_

_"Adrian Oprea right? We're speaking to his wife in a few days,"_

_"Adrian, he was 23 years old. On his way home from work to his wife and newborn baby. Riding the motorbike so his wife could have the car to run errands that day. Barnes tore the bike out from under him, throwing him onto the ground in front of a taxi who could not stop in time. If Barnes had not thrown that bomb at the bridge we could have saved him._ "

" _The bridge, right, Can you tell us what the investigation has turned up or is it still under investigation?_ "

" _What we know so far is that the bridge_ _was made_ _unstable by the bomb. But it was not the bomb that_ _ultimately_ _brought it down. Made it so it would come down but did not bring it down. Two minutes after the bomb detonated. Forty blocks away from the apartment. Not in the evacuation zone, traffic was still moving. Before anyone could get up there to stop the flow of traffic a truck passed over the bomb site. The weight made the tunnel collapses on 40 squad cars and 35 civilian cars."_

_"The official death toll has_ _been released_ _already. IT is being called one of the worst vehicle incidences since world war two,_ "

_"Yes, it definitely is the worst for Romania."_

* * *

**4 pm 6th July 2016,**

**Bucharest Romania:**

The last one, for the day at least Ana kept reminding herself. Meanwhile, Marshal Popescu was escorted out by the production manager. She returned with the next one. Doctorate student David Alexandru, a volunteer from the bridge.

_"Hello, I am David. It is nice to meet you"_

_"Hello David, I am Ana. When you are ready to start_ _just_ _let me know,"_

_"I am ready,"_

_"So you were a volunteer at the collapsed tunnel, right? How did you come to_ _be asked_ _"_

_"Yes, I was. It was a Thursday morning. I was heading into my University, I'm in the last year of my doctorate for medicine. I got a call from my careers advisor as I was heading into classes. He told me there was an accident. That Stark Medical Volunteers department was requesting_ _assistance_ _should I be willing. I am studying so I can help people, I wasn't going to say no! So I pulled over, got the information and changed directions, heading to the crash."_

_"What was your first impression when you arrived?"_

_"_ _Honestly_ _? At first, I was so mad! When I got there Barnes Rogers and King T'Challa were still there. They were being read their rights_ _I believe_ _. They did not look like they even cared! None of them! Rogers and Wilson had completely turned away from the bridge. Did not spare it even a glance in the entire time I was watching them. Like it was beneath their notice. None of them cared that it was the main tunnel connecting our city that they had brought down on our people's heads."_

_"And what was it like seeing that bridge down?"_

_"It was, indescribable, I have lived in the city all my life. A few hours earlier and my sister would have been in that tunnel going to school. A few hours later and my father would be in it heading home, and it was_ _just_ _gone. And those, those arseholes were apathetic. Did not care that our people, civilians were dying in there right at that moment because of THEIR actions."_

_"What was it like outside the bridge? Others have referred to it as an atmosphere unlike anything the seen before,"_

_"The scene was, unable to_ _be described_ _. I am studying to be a family medicine doctor. So other than one class and a single month rotation in med school I had never been in an emergency situation. But even then that was nothing like this. That. That was in a hospital. where we had all the resources we could need. This was unknown. You didn't know what was coming. You didn't know what you had in the way of supplies. No way to know if you could even treat the kinds of wounds that would come. This was the kind of place where your heart stopped. Where your body sagged. Where you_ _just_ _knew that no one would be coming out of this okay. The moment you walked onto that scene you_ _just_ _knew that this. This was the place nightmares where made"_

_"And the other volunteers, did you know any of them?"_

_"Well yes and no. There where medical students from every school there, many in scrubs like me as we had been going to school. So some of them I recognized as having shared classes with them but I was not exactly friends with them. We all introduced ourselves though. For_ _all of_ _us, this was the first time we had been in a situation like this. So we chatted about what we thought to expect as we_ _were guided_ _to a plane where the waivers. That was were the SIM Volunteers vests were. It seemed as though we had all_ _been told_ _that if we did not sign we did not help. Doctor Lilith showed up soon after that and she directed us into positions to help"_

_"What kinds of injuries where you seeing as they pulled people out?"_

_"At first they were_ _not many_ _for us to treat. We had_ _been told_ _that we would be looking after non-life threatening injuries. and the ones at the front were very bad, they had most of the rubble on them. But then we_ _were overwhelmed_ _. It is not so much as the injuries that were a lot, we where_ _mainly_ _looking after breaks and small amounts of bruises. But the amount of them! We had_ _been put_ _into pairs. I lost track of how many Synthia and I treated, the last number I had was in the 100's"_

_"What was the hardest part of treating the injuries?"_

_"The screams, they, they were a lot to hear. Every time a new person_ _was pulled_ _from that rubble people would be screaming. Sometimes it_ _was revealed_ _sobbing screams as their family_ _was pulled_ _out alive, too often it was not. Too often it was the kind of scream that would send a shiver down your spine. Would bring tears to your eyes as a new person_ _was brought_ _out dead."_

_"I bet that was hard to hear, if you can manage can you tell us one_ _really_ _prominent image of that day?"_

_"Yeah. Um, there was one part. I will never forget, I will never leave behind is uh. Well, we had been there for about 10 hours at this point. My teammate Synthia had been checking her phone a lot throughout the day. This wasn't unusual, we were all checking our phones_ _constantly_ _, we all had family that lives in the city. I go to university with Synthia. We started the same year so I knew her well enough even though we were not exactly friends. So I knew her family lived near mine and would have been traveling in the tunnel throughout the day too._ _But she had said she got in contact with her sister who said she, the sisters' husband and their mum had been at home when the bridge went down_ _. Their father and the sisters' little boy should have been at the aquarium already. When they pulled a cart from the rubble Synthia wailed and took off towards the cart in a sprint. I followed her and was able to hold her back but she was sobbing the word Papa out. My stomach dropped and while praying to anyone who would listen that it was not so. I knew this would not be a story with a happy ending. Doctor Lilith saw me struggling with Synthia and came over, signaling for them to wait with the cart. She asked us if we knew him._ _Synthia was still sobbing and Doctor Lilith_ _just_ _nodded and reached out to put her arm around Synthia_ _. She took both of us over to the cart where another had come to a stop with it. Doctor Lilith asked if Synthia knew the other one and the bag_ _was pulled_ _back so we could see the face of a 5-year-old boy. He_ _was red_ _. Every inch of his little body covered in blood. Half of his head caved in. His body was much too flat on that cart. In a way, I had never seen before outside of my textbook. In a way, I hope I never have to see again, because I knew meant his body had_ _been crushed_ _. Synthia collapsed at this point and the little boy_ _was covered_ _back up. Synthia was sobbing so hard_ _I don't believe_ _she was breathing. The little boy was her nephew. It was his birthday so Synthia's father, the little boy's grandpa had picked him up early from school. To take him out to lunch at the aquarium. He loved the sea animals, but they had been running late and had still been in the tunnel. And now they are both dead"_


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so long waiting...r

11th July 2016, Stark Medical Tower, NYC

The Keeners had arrived yesterday. Four days after Ana-Maria left to start the filming tour, the tower was starting to feel full again. Full of life and in the literal sense of most rooms occupied. Lilith was glad that everyone seemed to be getting along okay. 

Madison took to spending her time with Lila and Vision. Teaching Vision about the wonders that are cartoons. Which Vision was taking to with a rather surprising amount of enjoyment. She was  secretly hoping that spending time with the two younger girls would be good for Vision. After all, Madison and Lila were also going into that 'who am I' stage of life. 

Harley introduced Cooper to the wonder that is blowing things up with Peggy.  Even in the short time they had been together they were already sneaking everything they could get their hands on down to the testing range in the name of science . 

Susan, was the biggest help in keeping the tower sane. Given how close she and Pepper had become over the years, she Pepper and Laura have everything on a tight reign. Everything going  smoothly or  being dealt with as needed. Lilith found it kind of soothing to watch those three powerhouses go.  If watching the three wonder women also happened to make the inner feminist in her weep with joy, well no one needed to know .

It definitely made her day less stressful when Susan handed her a container of the breakfast Laura was cooking, a full travel mug of coffee and her keys before shooing her out the door as she was running late this morning . Those two were what Lilith always imagined having a mum would be like as a child.

"The videos of the assault against Doctor Tony stark prompted an internal investigation-" 

Liliths attention  was drawn from her paperwork to the TV on her wall where the Armed Forces press conference is playing live 

"Apollo, turn that up please"

"At the conclusion of our investigation, it has come to our attention that Steven Grant Rogers did not complete his basic training . Additionally, he  was awarded the title of captain in an honorary position."  The Secretary of Defense spoke from behind the podium.  Beside him stood the Deputy Secretary, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the vice-chairman .

"Well, that's a show. The entire white house defense team," Lilith mumbled to herself. Leaning further back in her chair Lilith settled in to watch. This could go one of two ways. Total support for Rogers and co which would result in them coming back stateside. Or they'll throw Rogers under the bus to make themselves look clean. Which would further turn the public opinion of Rogers sour.

"Mister Secretary, does that mean that Captain Steven Rogers is no longer a captain?"

"Holding an honorary title means that Steven Rogers was never an official Captain in the American Military" Carter responded

"If he never held the title why was it given to him?"

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff leaned forward into his microphone and answered the question instead

"In short, the title never  was given to him  officially , it was a stage name that caught on."  Looks like they're washing their hands of Rogers. Good. The smart move.

"And the long version?"

"The Super Soldier program  was run by the Strategic Scientific Reserve, known as the SSR. The SSR was an Allied effort made to include some of the best scientists of the time in military campaigns.  Specifically , their job was to counter the Nazi and Hydra forces who had technology beyond the capabilities of the allied forces . The SSR being an allied effort meant they did not fall under any one countries jurisdiction.  Instead, these teams would work together as one unit and convey all the most important details to each of their own countries . All the soldiers who fought with the SSR had titles from their own countries. Only  being transferred in after receiving the  equivalent of a sergeants rank. Each had to complete their own countries' basic training.  As well as whatever extra training to achieve their titles before they would  be considered . As such the SSR could not run basic training, or assign military titles to anyone."

The vice-chairman leaned forwards at this point, interrupting the Chairman as he started speaking

"Because of the status of the SSR, they could not enlist soldiers as history states they did with Rogers. Rogers one week in basic training did not qualify as attending basic. Nor was it long enough to have  been considered as basic training even then. Rogers also never took any sort of leadership training as military men and women must. After receiving the serum, Rogers  was sent on a war bond tour. Which is where the name Captain America was first developed.  It is our belief that allowing Rogers to keep his title of Captain will be doing a disservice to the military men and women who earn their titles . As such we are revoking it"

" However , we are awarding Rogers with the title of Army Specialist. To respect to what he sacrificed for our country. And our freedom in the war"  The secretary of Defense added. Only once the vice-chairman finished talking.  Looking somewhat anxious as though they were trying to appease the Rogers fans while still distancing themselves from Rogers and his actions . Which would make sense in a political public move, it would keep both sides on board.

"What does this mean  in terms of Rogers' military ranking?"

"An army specialist is a private with a specialized set of skills. We have agreed to acknowledge his war efforts as a substitute for the missed basic.  As well as the extra training he would have to complete to  be awarded the title"  The vice-secretary of Defense answered

"That is all the questions we will be taking  at this time . Thank you"  The Secretary of Defense spoke again as everyone walked off the stage. The camera spun to be on the news anchor who had attended the press conference

"Back to you in the studio-"

"That's enough Apollo" Lilith spoke over the TV with a smirk on her face. 

* * *

**11th July 2016, Stark Medical Tower, NYC**

**After Lunch**

"Sorry, Doctor Lilith. My name is Stacey Simons. I'm a student at the Craig Newmark Graduate school. I'm writing a piece for our school newspaper and was hoping I could talk to you. To set up an interview!" a young females voice called out to Lilith as she walked to the front door of SIMT. Coming back off having had a lunch meeting at a little restaurant not far from the tower.

"Simons was it? Slow down and tell me what you were wanting to discuss?" Lilith turned to look at the young lady, she seemed to be early 20's and brightened as Lilith gave her the time of day.

"This mornings press release from the White House defense team? Have you had a chance to see it yet?" The girl was almost bouncing, a first-year grad student then. The older ones all tended to be too tired to be so enthusiastic.

"I tell you what, I've got a moment right now if you don't mind coming up with me?" Lilith pointed towards the door, indicating she means up to her office

"Oh my gosh,  really ? I mean. Wait. Of course, I have a moment for you" The young reporter bounced towards Lilith so they could walk together. Lilith gives her a smile as they head on in through the employee's entrance. Lilith signed the girl in as her guest as they went through the security gates and into the elevators. 

"How about we sit at the desk for this?" Lilith suggested as they walked into her office, Simons nodded as she headed to the guest chair of the desk. Lilith settles in to her chair and smiles at the young reporter 

"Do you mind if I record this?" Simons asked pulling her phone out 

"Of course, go ahead" Lilith nodded 

"Okay so. Being raised in a household that has a staple member, your uncle, as a high ranking Military officer. And another, your father, as a top military contractor. You would have an outlook into the military that the average citizen would never think of.  So can I get your position, as Doctor Tony Stark's daughter and Colonel Rhodes niece, on their revealing of Rogers title being honorary and the fact that they revoked it ?" Lilith nodded at Simmons as she was talking. Lilith paused for a moment to think about her answer. It was a good question, in-depth yet not probing in a way that would irritate her. 

" I believe that it was the right thing to do. In world war two Roger's contributions where many, they went a long way in aiding our win of the war. Yet, one man does not win a war alone. By acting as though Roger's efforts had  single-handedly won the war.  By acting as though the outcomes achieved were anything other than the team effort they  really were . It is, at best, historical revisionism. And well, to voice what I  personally see as my father's daughter. Rogers chose to become an international fugitive. He chose to become a terrorist. If it were anyone else they would  be smacked with dissertation charges. And more than likely crimes against humanity charges" 

"Crimes against humanity? I know he did, and lead a lot of bad actions in the whole civil war. Everything, but where do crimes against humanity come in?" 

"From when he lead the unsanctioned Nigeria mission. The four that where there had no right to be in that country. The government of Nigeria didn't even know they were until they  were caught on camera. Which means they entered  illegally . Inflicted their beliefs onto the population. In the process destroying the government facility for infectious disease control. And a hospital." 

"That's- by definition terrorism. This is so much, that is sickening" 

"Yes. Yes, it is. For my family, you know what's  truly sickening about Rogers?" 

"Apart from everything he's done" 

"Well yes, but  specifically , my grandfather and a team of others made him. Quite  literally they took a 21-year-old who had a life expectancy of 25 years and made him into what he is. Extending his life to at least triple what it was. My grandfather made Roger's first functional suit. His first functional shield. All his weapons. Even, at risk to my grandfather's own life, he flew Rogers into enemy territory. Where Rogers made his first mark allowing him to actually assist in the war. My grandfather MADE captain America, and how does Rogers repay him?  Multiple attempts on his sons, my father's, life. Brings that hydra witch in after she'd messed with dad's head. And hides the fact that grandma and grandpa where  brutally murdered from us their family" 

"Now I completely agree with you, but you don't think he did it to protect his friend?" 

"Sure I think in his own way he thought he was protecting 'Bucky', but medically, how much of Bucky is actually left? Sergeant Barnes was a prisoner of war for 70 years. He was tortured for that long. How much of what came out was really Bucky? But okay, the benefit of the doubt, it was all Bucky left, even in that case Rogers was really just damning him. Because no one knows what the extent of Hydra's mind manipulation of Barnes is. As far as anyone can tell that wasn't the Hydra torture in Romania acting out. Nor at the airport. Nor in Siberia. And even if Rogers was protecting Bucky, what about the hundreds of family's. Families who deserve justice for their loved ones murdered by Hydra? And sure NOW we know Barnes wasn't to blame. But if we had known at the fall of SHIELD that Barnes had been brainwashed into a weapon? We could have gone after the people who ordered the hits to be carried out and found true justice that way. Instead, years were spent looking for the winter soldier. Thinking he was a willing hydra agent. And as it is now most of these people who ordered the hits have killed themselves. Because they didn't want to face justice. And those families will never know why. Some will never get the bodies of their loved ones to bury. Some families will still be wondering for years what happened to their loved ones, how is that in any way okay?"


End file.
